A Flood Watch is in effect this afternoon for Niihau, Kauai, Oahu and Maui County as an unseasonably cold upper level low approaches the state, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters say the upper low is dropping into the Hawaiian Islands from the north and will bring periods of heavy showers across the chain today. The center of the system is expected to settle over Kauai around midday, then gradually weaken and drift east overnight.

Unstable conditions around the low could generate thunderstorms and intense rainfall at times, raising the risk of flash flooding in some locations.

The Flood Watch could be extended into the overnight hours for parts of the state, forecasters said.

Officials urge the public to monitor updated forecasts and be ready to act if Flash Flood Warnings are issued.

Flood Watch covers Niihau, Kauai, Oahu and Maui County

Residents and visitors should use caution around streams, gulches and low-lying areas, and never drive through flooded roadways.

Radar imagery of the Hawaiian Islands. PC: NOAA/NWS

For more on recent wet and dry patterns around the state, see Big Island rainfall June 2026: Windward deluge, leeward lags.