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Current Hawai'i Drought Maps

Drought & Dryness Categories
Value Map Hex Color % of HI Description
D0 – Abnormally Dry #ffff00 17.8 Abnormally Dry Abnormally Dry (D0) indicates a region that is going into or coming out of drought. View typical impacts by state.
D1 – Moderate Drought #fcd37f 66.6 Moderate Drought Moderate Drought (D1) is the first of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.
D2 – Severe Drought #ffaa00 15.6 Severe Drought Severe Drought (D2) is the second of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.
D3 – Extreme Drought #e60000 0.0 Extreme Drought Extreme Drought (D3) is the third of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.
D4 – Exceptional Drought #730000 0.0 Exceptional Drought Exceptional Drought (D4) is the most intense drought category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.
Total Area in Drought (D1–D4) dmtotal 82.2 Total Area in Drought (D1–D4) The percent area of Hawai'i that is currently in drought (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought Change Since Last Week
Value Map Hex Color Description
-3 #ff9900 3-Category Degradation Drought/dryness has worsened by 3 categories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
-2 #ffd438 2-Category Degradation Drought/dryness has worsened by 2 categories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
-1 #ffff73 1-Category Degradation Drought/dryness has worsened by 1 category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
0 #cccccc No Change There has been no change in drought conditions at this location.
+1 #cdffd4 1-Category Improvement Drought/dryness has improved by 1 category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
+2 #8ad48c 2-Category Improvement Drought/dryness has improved by 2 categories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
+3 #52956a 3-Category Improvement Drought/dryness has improved by 3 categories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Drought in Hawai'i

Drought is a natural, frequent occurrence in Hawai'i with impacts on all islands. Droughts are often associated with El Niño events, which are part of a natural climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean. As isolated islands in the Pacific, Hawai'i has limited water resources, making the islands highly sensitive to reductions in water availability. The impacts of drought include crop yield losses, reduced quality and quantity of drinking water supplies, water restrictions for residents, increased wildfire risk, death of cattle, damage from insect pests, low stream levels, negative impacts to threatened and endangered species, effects on cultural practices, and other socioeconomic impacts. If a wildfire occurs, once the rains return after a drought, the excess water washes sediment down to near-shore areas and has a negative effect on coral reefs.

Drought duration and severity have increased over the past century in Hawai'i, and advanced planning and implementation of adaptation actions are critical for improving resilience to future droughts.

NIDIS supports eight regional Drought Early Warning Systems (DEWS) throughout the United States. In addition, NIDIS supports states outside these regions, like Hawai'i, by delivering drought early warning information through Drought.gov; investing in drought research to address key scientific and societal needs; and supporting the development of new tools and products that serve the entire nation. 

Drought Outlooks for Hawai'i

Predicting drought in Hawai'i depends on the ability to forecast precipitation and temperature within the context of complex climate interactions. View more outlooks & forecasts.

Hawai'i Monthly Drought Outlook

Drought Is Predicted To...
Value Map Hex Color Description
Persist #9b634a Drought Persists During this time period, drought is forecast to persist.
Improve #ded2bc Drought Improves During this time period, drought is forecast to improve.
End #b2ad69 Drought Is Removed During this time period, drought removal is forecast.
Develop #ffde63 Drought Develops During this time period, drought development is forecast.
N/A #ffffff No Drought Present

Hawai'i Seasonal Drought Outlook

Drought Is Predicted To...
Value Map Hex Color Description
Persist #9b634a Drought Persists During this time period, drought is forecast to persist.
Improve #ded2bc Drought Improves During this time period, drought is forecast to improve.
End #b2ad69 Drought Is Removed During this time period, drought removal is forecast.
Develop #ffde63 Drought Develops During this time period, drought development is forecast.
N/A #ffffff No Drought Present

Historical Drought Conditions in Hawai'i

Drought is a normal climate pattern that has occurred in varying degrees of length, severity, and size throughout history. Below, you can look back at past drought conditions for Hawai'i according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly map that shows the location and intensity of drought across the country since 2000. View more historical conditions.

U.S. Drought Monitor
Value Map Hex Color Description
D0 #ffff00 D0 - Abnormally Dry Abnormally Dry (D0) indicates a region that is going into or coming out of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.
D1 #fcd37f D1 – Moderate Drought Moderate Drought (D1) is the first of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.
D2 #fa0 D2 – Severe Drought Severe Drought (D2) is the second of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.
D3 #e60000 D3 – Extreme Drought Extreme Drought (D3) is the third of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.
D4 #730000 D4 – Exceptional Drought Exceptional Drought (D4) is the most intense drought category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. View typical impacts by state.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (2000–present) depicts the location and intensity of drought across the country. Every Thursday, authors from NOAA, USDA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center produce a new map based on their assessments of the best available data and input from local observers. The map uses five categories: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1–D4). Learn more.

Drought Resources for Hawai'i

Stay Informed: Local Drought Updates

Drought Alert Emails
Get email updates when U.S. Drought Monitor conditions change for your location or a new drought outlook is released.

Dry Times Bi-Weekly Drought Newsletter
Issued every other Thursday, Dry Times is an email newsletter with the latest drought news, events, and data & maps.

Get Involved: Submit Local Drought Impacts

Drought in your area? Tell us how drought is impacting your community by submitting a condition monitoring report. Your submissions help us better understand how drought is affecting local conditions.