Sunny Hawaii beach scenes warm the soul on cold mainland winters. But triple-digit summer temperatures may have you looking at a Hawaii vacation for relief from the heat as well.
It’s been a hot summer on the mainland, if my Facebook and Twitter streams are to be believed. I see complaints about broken air conditioning, weeks of temperatures over 100 in Texas and a heat index of 128 in the South! That could steam vegetables, not to mention humans!
While Hawaii weather is warmer in August, it’s a rare day that gets above the upper 80’s. The highest temperature ever recorded in Hawaii was 100, according to the National Weather Service. But that was in 1931 on Hawaii Island. The summers I lived in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and even Colorado, 100 was expected to make a regular appearance during August.
It is more humid in Hawaii than Colorado, something I noticed more on my first visit than I do now. It made cotton tee shirts and jeans uncomfortable. The attire sold on the islands is called “tropical” weight, and is lighter. If you are coming from Atlanta or New Orleans, never mind. It will seem like a cool breeze in comparison.
I’m not sure what the “heat index” is most days on the islands. The chief concern of television weather casts is where the waves are best for surfing, whether there is a small craft advisory for boating, and when the box jelly fish will make their monthly appearance. As August fries mainland cities, in Hawaii we take refuge from the “sweltering” 88 degree afternoons in the shade of a palm tree cooled by trade winds and awaiting those fabulous Hawaii sunsets.
