Strong winds have eased, bringing a return to fairly typical tradewind weather for Hawaii today, but an uptick in showers is expected for the windward side of smaller isles tonight.

The National Weather Service placed Hawaii under a tsunami watch after a preliminary magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off the Kermadec Islands in New Zealand at about 9:30 a.m. Hawaii time.

The PTWC canceled the tsunami watch for Hawaii at 12:20 p.m.

A watch means a tsunami may impact Hawaii, but the threat and potential effects are still being evaluated by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The PTWC at the time said if tsunami waves were to impact isle shores, the estimated earliest arrival would have been at 4:35 p.m.

Today’s forecast is partly sunny, with scattered windward and mauka showers, and highs from 76 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Skies tonight will be mostly cloudy, with showers likely for some areas, and lows dipping to 62 to 67 degrees.

No updates were made to an earlier surf forecast issued for the isles as of 1 p.m.

Surf today is expected to remain below advisory levels for all sides, with a northwest swell expected to fill in and peak late today into Friday.

Surf on north shores at 9 to 12 feet today will bump up to 10 to 14 feet Friday. Surf on west shores will increase from 6 to 8 feet today to 7 to 10 feet Friday.

Surf on south and east shores remains at 1 to 3 feet, and 3 to 5 feet, respectively, today and Friday.

Trades of 15 to 20 mph today are expected to continue through the rest of the work week, then pick up again over the weekend.

Forecasters said wet and breezy conditions are expected this weekend, with trades strengthening again, with gusts as high as 25 to 35 mph Saturday night and Sunday. Looking ahead, forecasters also expect very wet conditions to develop next week.

A small craft advisory remains in effect for Kauai Channel and waters around Kauai and windward Oahu through 6 a.m. Friday.