Hawai'i may soon get relief from the heat, humidity and vog that has irritated Islanders in recent days, the National Weather Service reports.

It's all thanks to the return of the trade winds, said Valdimir Ryshko, meteorologist with the NWS.

"Weak to moderate trade winds should return over the weekend," Ryshko said. "That should clear out some of the volcanic haze, and most of the humidity. Generally what happens is if the trades go away, we just get the volcanic haze sticking around.

"The really high humidity just had to do with partly the season and partly the southeasterly winds we had ... brought up some moisture from the tropics."

That really high humidity caused what seemed like record high temperatures. But Ryshko said in fact temperatures have been about par for the season. The record high for Oct. 8 in Honolulu is 92 degrees, he said. Yesterday the high temperature was 87.

"It's pretty much all about the trades," Ryshko said. "That's what makes the climate in Hawai'i so pleasant for most people. The trades provide ventilation."

All of which has left some anticipating how the climate will affect two big athletic events scheduled for the weekend — The Ironman World Championship competition in Kona tomorrow, and the Moloka'i Hoe Canoe Race on Sunday.

Ironman triathlete Michelle Simmons of Kane'ohe said she's expecting the worst and hoping for the best.

"I'm expecting it to be brutally hot and windy," said Simmons, 35, who's competing in her 10th Ironman. "If its anything other than that, I'll be really pleasantly surprised."

Either way, she's prepared. Trade winds would be a welcome relief, she said.

"But honestly, the more brutal the conditions, the better it is for us from here — because we train in it all year. It could be an advantage for us," she said.