Fire Weather Watch for Friday and Saturday due to windy conditions, low humidity

The Maui Emergency Management Agency advises the public of a Fire Weather Watch, in effect for Friday morning through Saturday afternoon. The watch was issued mainly for leeward areas of all Hawaiian Islands due to windy conditions and low humidity.

The conditions are expected as high pressure moves east, north of the islands. This will increase the local pressure gradient and coincide with a pocket of drier air moving into the region, likely producing critical fire weather conditions across most central and leeward areas, as well as northern portions of the Big Island, according to the National Weather Service.

The main fire weather concerns will be from late morning through the afternoon each day when relative humidity is lowest. The NWS is forecasting east winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Relative humidity will be as low as 40 to 45%.

“Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly,” the NWS reports.

A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. The public should listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.