{"id":229020,"date":"2026-02-04T08:00:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T18:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=229020"},"modified":"2026-02-03T14:36:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T00:36:49","slug":"hawaii-annual-climate-report-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/04\/hawaii-annual-climate-report-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"New report confirms 2025 among Hawaiʻi\u2019s driest, warmest on record"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Highly-flammable invasive grasses are contributing to an increase in wildfire activity in Hawaiʻi<\/span>. (Photo credit: Clay Trauernicht)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2025, Hawaiʻi<\/span> experienced its second–driest year in more than a century, alongside persistently above average temperatures throughout the year—a stark reality detailed in the inaugural Hawaiʻi<\/span> Annual Climate Report 2025<\/a>. Published by the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> Sea Grant College Program<\/a>, this first-of-its-kind report uses plain language, along with easy-to-interpret maps and figures, to summarize statewide rainfall, temperature, and drought conditions over the past year.<\/p>\n

The report is designed to connect communities, resource managers, and policymakers with the climate data behind what many experienced firsthand, providing essential information to support climate preparedness and long-term planning across the islands.<\/p>\n

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Ryan Longman consults with Dylen Joaquin of the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Cattleman’s Association. (Photo credit: PDKE<\/abbr>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This report reflects decades of effort to monitor Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s climate and conduct high-level scientific research, paired with more than eight years of collaboration by a team of climate and data scientists to develop an expanding suite of high-quality climate maps and decision support tools. These maps are hosted on the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Climate Data Portal<\/a> (HCDP<\/abbr>) and, for the first time, make it possible to summarize climate conditions consistently across the entire state.<\/p>\n

“Throughout 2025, we heard people across the state talking about just how hot and dry the year felt,” said Ryan Longman, director of the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Climate Data Portal. “Now we have the data to show what people were experiencing on the ground. We hope this type of reporting helps connect residents to their own lived experiences with Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s climate and gives communities the information they need to plan for what\u2019s ahead.”<\/p>\n

The report is accompanied by a detailed, interactive website<\/a> that allows users to explore the same climate information for individual islands and even for specific ahupua\u02bba or watersheds. Together, the report and website provide a clear picture of what many residents across Hawaiʻi<\/span> experienced firsthand in 2025.<\/p>\n

Highlights from the report<\/h2>\n
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Tom Giambelluca is the driving force behind the Mesonet system.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n