Editing Maui (section)

== Climate ==
{{main|Climate of Hawaii}}
 {{unreferenced section|date=November 2012}}
The climate is characterized by a two-season year, tropical and uniform temperatures at any given elevation, geographic differences in rainfall, high relative humidity, extensive cloud formations (except on the leeward coasts and at the highest elevations), and dominant [[trade wind]] flow (especially at lower elevations).

Maui has a range of climatic conditions and weather patterns:

* Half of the land is within {{cvt|5|mi|km|0}} of the coast, creating a strong marine influence.
* Macro weather patterns are typically determined by elevation and orientation towards the [[trade wind]]s (the prevailing air flow from the northeast).
* Maui's rugged, irregular topography drives variations in conditions. Air swept inland on the trade winds is redirected by the mountains, valleys, and vast open slopes. This three-dimensional flow of air produces variations in wind speed, cloud formation, and rainfall.

Maui displays diverse climatic conditions, each of which is specific to a sub-region. These sub-regions are defined by major physiographic features (such as mountains and valleys) and by location on the windward or leeward side.

Maui's daytime temperatures average between {{cvt|75|°F}} and {{cvt|90|°F}} year round, while evening temperatures are about {{convert|15|F-change}} cooler in the more humid windward areas, about {{convert|18|F-change}} cooler in the drier leeward areas, and cooler still in higher elevations.

An exception to the normal pattern is the occasional winter [[Kona storm]] that brings rainfall to the South and West areas accompanied by high southwesterly winds (opposite of the prevailing trade wind direction).

=== Microclimates ===
[[File:Westküste_Maui_Hawaii_(45740526221).jpg|thumb|West coast, with Haleakalā and [[Kihei]] visible in the background]]
Maui has examples of all microclimates, each typical to specific locations.
[[File:Makena_Beach,_Maui_Hawaii_(45015180584).jpg|right|thumb|[[Makena Beach]], South Maui]]

* '''Windward lowlands''' – Below {{cvt|2000|ft|m}} on north-to-northeast sides. Roughly perpendicular to the trade winds. Moderately rainy; frequent trade wind-induced showers. Skies are often cloudy to partly cloudy. Air temperatures are relatively more uniform (and mild).
* '''Leeward lowlands''' – Daytime temperatures are higher and nighttime temperatures are lower than in windward locations. Dry weather is prevalent, except for sporadic showers that drift over the mountains to windward and during short-duration storms.
* '''Interior lowlands''' – Intermediate conditions, often sharing characteristics of other lowland sub-regions. Occasional intense afternoon showers from clouds that form due to local daytime heating.
* '''Leeward side high-altitude mountain slopes with high rainfall''' – Extensive cloud cover and rainfall all year long. Mild temperatures are prevalent, but humidity is higher than in any other sub-region.
* '''Leeward side lower mountain slopes''' – Rainfall is higher than on leeward lowlands but much less than at similar altitudes on the windward side; however, maximum rainfall usually occurs leeward of the crests of lower mountains. Temperatures are higher than on the rainy slopes of the windward sides of mountains; cloud cover is almost as extensive.
* '''High mountains''' – Above about {{cvt|5000|ft|m}} on Haleakalā, rainfall decreases rapidly with elevation. Relative humidity may be ten percent or less. The state's lowest temperatures are experienced in this region: air temperatures below freezing are common.

{{Anchor|Regions}} These microclimates help to define the major regions: Central Maui; leeward South Maui and West Maui; windward North Shore and East Maui; and Upcountry.<ref name="microclimate-areas2">{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Alexandra |title=Micro-Climates & Choosing Residential Property to Buy on Maui {{!}} Maui Now |url=https://mauinow.com/2015/01/05/micro-climates-choosing-residential-property-to-buy-on-maui/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |website={{!}} Micro-Climates & Choosing Residential Property to Buy on Maui}}</ref>

* '''Central Maui''' consists primarily of Kahului and Wailuku, and occupies the flat isthmus between the West Maui Mountains and Haleakalā. Kahului is the center of the island and tends to keep steady, high temperatures throughout the year. The Kahului microclimate can be muggy, but usually feels relatively dry and is often breezy. The Wailuku area is closer to the West Maui Mountain range. There, rainfall is greater throughout the year and humidity is higher.
* '''South Maui''' (Kihei, Wailea, and Makena) and '''West Maui''' (Lahaina, Kaanapali, and Kapalua) are both on the leeward side. These areas are typically drier, with higher daytime temperatures (up to {{cvt|92|°F}}), and the least amount of rainfall. (An exception is the high-altitude, unpopulated West Maui summit, which boasts up to {{cvt|400|in|mm}} of rainfall per year on its north and east side.)

[[File:Waianapanapa_State_Park_Maui_Hawaii_Road_to_Hana_(45690767052).jpg|right|thumb|[[Waianapanapa State Park]] in East Maui, next to [[Hana, Maui|Hana]]]]

* The '''North Shore''' (Paia and Haiku) and '''East Maui''' (Keanae, Hana, and Kipahulu) are both on the windward side. Facing the prevailing, northeast trade winds, these areas have heavier rainfall levels, which increase considerably at higher elevations.
* {{Anchor|Upcountry}} '''Upcountry Maui''' is the name for the sloping area on the western face of Haleakalā, including the towns of Makawao, Pukalani, and Kula.<ref name="Upcountry-wanderlust2">{{cite web |last1=Wogan |first1=John |title=Where to Stay (and What to Eat) in Maui's Upcountry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/t-magazine/travel/maui-upcountry-guide.html |access-date=14 November 2023 |website=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 20, 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Paniolo2">{{cite web |last1=Moon |first1=Freda |title=In Maui's Upcountry, Where the Paniolo Roam |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/travel/in-mauis-upcountry-where-the-paniolo-roam.html |access-date=14 November 2023 |website=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 4, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="LATimes-upcountry2">{{cite web |last1=McClure |first1=Rosemary |date=19 October 2014 |title=Maui's Upcountry: Laid-back vibe, cool breezes and farm-to-table food |url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/hawaii/la-tr-maui-20141019-story.html |access-date=14 November 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> This area ranges from {{cvt|1,500|ft|adj=on}} to {{cvt|4,500|ft|adj=on}}, and the climate tends toward mild heat (between {{cvt|70|°F}} and {{cvt|80|°F}}) during the day and cool evenings. The higher the elevation, the cooler the evenings: during Maui's winter, Upper Kula can be as cold as {{cvt|40|°F}} in the early morning hours and the Haleakalā summit can dip below freezing and become covered in snow.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="14" |Climate data for Maui
|-
!Month
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
|-
!Average sea temperature °F (°C)
|76.3
(24.6)
|75.5
(24.2)
|75.3
(24.1)
|75.9
(24.4)
|76.8
(24.9)
|77.7
(25.4)
|78.6
(25.9)
|79.3
(26.3)
|80
(26.7)
|80
(26.7)
|78.9
(26.1)
|77.1
(25.1)
|-
! colspan="14" |Source: meteodb.com<ref>{{cite web |title=Maui — weather by month, water temperature |url=https://meteodb.com/usa/maui |access-date=March 22, 2023}}</ref>
|}

=== Rainfall ===
[[File:KahikinuiCoastlineMaui.JPG|right|thumb|Kahikinui coastline near [[Kaupo, Hawaii|Kaupo]]]]
[[File:Rainbow_in_Hawaii.jpg|left|thumb|[[Rainbow]] over the [[West Maui Mountains]] after rainfall in [[Kaanapali, Hawaii|Kā{{okina}}anapali]]]]
Showers are common; while some of these are heavy, the majority are light and brief. Thunder and lightning are rare, even during intense storms. Throughout the lowlands, summer trade winds produce a drier season. Annual rainfall averages {{Convert|17-20|in}} in leeward coastal areas, such as the shoreline from [[Ma'alaea Bay|Maalaea Bay]] to Kaupo. At the other extreme, the average exceeds {{cvt|300|in|mm}} along the lower windward slopes of Haleakalā, particularly along [[Hana Highway|Hāna Highway]]. [[Big Bog, Maui|Big Bog]], a spot on the edge of Haleakalā National Park overlooking Hana at about {{cvt|5,400|ft}} elevation had an estimated mean annual rainfall of {{cvt|404|in|mm}} over the 30-year period of 1978 to 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Imada |first=Lee |title='Big Bog' ranks among wettest spots in Hawaii, possibly world |url=http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/559332.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611072538/http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/559332.html |archive-date=11 June 2013 |access-date=6 May 2020 |website=[[The Maui News]]}}</ref> If the islands of Hawaii did not exist, the average annual rainfall on the same patch of water would be about {{cvt|25|in|mm}}.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} Instead, the mountainous topography induces an average of about {{cvt|70|in|mm}}.{{climate chart|Maui|7|20|33|6|19|31|6|21|40|5|22|11|8|23|10|9|21|4|11|26|20|11|28|3|8|26|7|8|22|36|8|20|9|6|20|12|float=right|clear=right|source=<ref name="nasa">{{Cite web |url=http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/dataset_index.php |title=NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index |access-date=30 January 2016 |publisher=NASA |archive-date=11 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511075542/https://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/dataset_index.php |url-status=live }}</ref>}}In the lowlands, rainfall is most likely to occur during night or morning hours, and least likely in mid-afternoon. The most pronounced daily variations in rainfall occur during the summer because summer rainfall generally consists of night-time trade wind showers. Winter rainfall in the lowlands is the result of storm activity, which is as likely to occur in the daytime as at night. Rainfall variability is far greater during the winter when occasional storms contribute appreciably to rainfall totals. Such wide swings in rainfall produce occasional droughts, sometimes causing economic losses. These occur when winter rains fail to produce sufficient significant rain, impacting normally dry areas outside the trade winds that depend on them the most. The winter of 2011–2012 produced extreme drought on the leeward sides Maui, and some other islands.

===Natural history===
Maui is home to a large [[Hawaiian tropical rainforests|rainforest]] on the northeastern flanks of Haleakalā, which serves as the [[drainage basin]] for that side.

Maui is home to many [[coral reef]]s. However, many have been damaged by pollution, run-off, and tourism, although sea turtles, dolphins, and Hawaii's celebrated tropical fish remain abundant. Leeward Maui once boasted a dry [[cloud forest]], but this was destroyed by human activities over the last three hundred years.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 June 2016 |title=History of Sandalwood on Maui |url=http://www.tourmaui.com/trees-of-maui-sandalwood/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308020906/http://www.tourmaui.com/trees-of-maui-sandalwood/ |archive-date=8 March 2016 |access-date=28 April 2015 |publisher=tourmaui.com}}</ref>

===Wildlife===
{{Main|Endemism in the Hawaiian Islands}}Maui is the leading [[Whale watching|whale-watching]] center in the Hawaiian Islands for the [[humpback whale]]s who winter in Maui County's sheltered [[Channels of the Hawaiian Islands|{{okina}}Au{{okina}}au Channel]]. These mammals migrate approximately {{cvt|3500|mi|km}} from [[Alaska]]n waters each autumn and spend November–April mating and birthing in the warm waters. They are typically sighted in pods: small groups of several adults, or groups of a mother, her calf, and a few suitors. Humpbacks are an [[endangered species]] protected by U.S. federal and Hawai{{okina}}i state law. An estimated 21,000-26,000 humpbacks live in [[Pacific Ocean|North Pacific]] waters.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Humpback Whales |url=https://www.wildhawaii.org/wildlife/whales/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=Hawaii Wildlife Fund |language=en-US}}</ref> Although they face many dangers, due to pollution, commercial vessels, and military sonar testing, their numbers have increased rapidly in recent years, estimated at 7% growth per year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Record Number of Whales Sighted During Great Whale Count |url=http://www.pacificwhale.org/news/news_detail.php?id=286 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225114415/http://www.pacificwhale.org/news/news_detail.php?id=286 |archive-date=2012-02-25 |access-date=2009-05-31 |publisher=pacificwhale.org}}</ref>[[File:Green_Sea_Turtle,_Maui.jpg|thumb|A [[green sea turtle]] near Maui]]
[[File:Resting Turtle.png|thumb|Turtle resting after a long swim in (Maui, Hawaii)]]
Birdlife lacks the concentration of endemic species found in some other Hawaiian islands. As recently as 200,000 years ago Maui was part of Maui Nui, thus reducing the odds that birds or other species would be endemic to any single one of these. Although Moloka{{okina}}i had several endemic bird species, in modern times Maui Nui's other islands host little endemic birdlife. During and after the Maui Nui period, Maui hosted a species of [[moa-nalo]] (also found on Moloka{{okina}}i, Lāna{{okina}}i, and Kaho{{okina}}olawe), a species of harrier (the [[wood harrier]], shared with Moloka{{okina}}i), an undescribed sea eagle (Maui only), and three species of ground-dwelling flightless ibis (''[[Apteribis]] sp.''), plus other species. Today, Maui's most notable surviving endemic birds are probably the [[ʻAkohekohe]] (''Palmeria dolei'') and the [[Maui parrotbill]] (''Pseudonestor xanthophrys''), also known as ''Kiwikiu'', both of which are critically endangered and only found in an alpine forest on the windward slopes of Haleakalā.

Conservation efforts have examined how to mitigate female parrotbill mortality since that is a key driving factor driving population decline. The parrotbill lacks resistance to mosquito-born diseases, particularly [[avian malaria]], so only forests above 1500 meters of elevation provide refuge. The habitat was undergoing restoration in east Maui as of 2018.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mounce |first1=Hanna L. |last2=Warren |first2=Christopher C. |last3=McGowan |first3=Conor P. |last4=Paxton |first4=Eben H. |last5=Groombridge |first5=Jim J. |date=May 9, 2018 |title=Extinction Risk and Conservation Options for Maui Parrotbill, an Endangered Hawaiian Honeycreeper |journal=Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=367–382 |doi=10.3996/072017-JFWM-059 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2018JFWM....9..367M }}</ref> As Maui's human population grew, previously undeveloped areas that provided a refuge decreased in size. More than 250 species of local flora are federally listed as endangered or threatened.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maui Island Plan |url=https://www.mauicounty.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/26582 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402164953/https://www.mauicounty.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/26582 |archive-date=2022-04-02 |access-date=2022-03-30}}</ref> Birds found on other islands as well as Maui include the [[ʻIʻiwi]] (''Drepanis coccinea''], [[ʻApapane]] (''Himatione sanguinea''), [[Hawaiʻi ʻAmakihi]] (''Chlorodrepanis virens),'' as [[Maui ʻAlauahio]] (''Paroreomyza montana'') well as the [[Nene (bird)|Nene]] (''Branta sandvicensis'', Hawaii's state bird), [[Hawaiian coot]] (''Fulica alai''), [[Hawaiian stilt]] (''Himantopus mexicanus knudseni'').

In 2024, [[Haleakalā National Park]] began to employ the incompatible insect technique to reduce the park's mosquito population.<ref>{{Cite web |last=YAMANAKA |first=SARAH |date=March 29, 2023 |title=BLNR approves final plan to combat avian malaria on Maui |url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/news/2023/03/28/blnr-approves-final-ea-to-combat-avian-malaria-on-maui |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=spectrumlocalnews.com |language=en}}</ref>

Maui is also home to the [[Hawaiian hoary bat]], Hawaii's only native terrestrial mammal. Marine mammals notably include [[Spinner dolphin|spinner]], [[Bottlenose dolphin|bottlenose]], and  [[spotted dolphin]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dolphins |url=https://www.wildhawaii.org/wildlife/dolphins/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Hawaii Wildlife Fund |language=en-US}}</ref>