Air Temperatures The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday afternoon:

Lihue, Kauai –                       84  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –     89  
Molokai airport –                    85

Kahului airport, Maui –           83
 

Kona airport     –                   86  
Hilo airport, Hawaii –              83

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state…as of 810pm Wednesday evening:   

Honolulu, Oahu – 78  
Hilo, Hawaii 
– 72   

Haleakala Summit
   45        (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 39        (near 13,800 feet on the Big Island)

Hawaii’s MountainsHere’s a link to the live web cam on the summit of near 13,800 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. This web cam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon shining down during the night at times. Plus, during the nights you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise and sunset too…depending upon weather conditions. Here's the Haleakala Crater webcam on Maui…although this webcam is not always working correctly. 

Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest weather information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here.

 

Aloha Paragraphs

http://lachlancathy.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/god-weather-hawaii.jpg 

Lighter winds through Friday…showers at times,
some of which will be locally heavy

Rising early season northwest swell this weekend,
high surf advisory north and west shores then

All of which signal the end of summer and
the beginning of fall…as of this Saturday




 

As this weather map shows, we have two near 1025 millibar high pressure systems located far to the northeast of the islands. At the same time, we find an early season cold front to the northwest of the islands, which is pushing a high pressure ridge closer to us, remaining close over the next several days. Our local winds will be lighter through the end of this work week…with rebounding trade winds during the weekend.

The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Wednesday evening:

23            Port Allen, Kauai –
SE
21            Kuaokala, Oahu – ESE
16            Molokai – ENE   
16            Kahoolawe – E
14            Lipoa, Maui – NE
15            Lanai – ENE

24            Kaupulehu, Big Island – NW

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean
.  Here's the latest NOAA satellite picture – the latest looping satellite imageand finally the latest looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands.

Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Wednesday evening:
 

2.12               Kilohana, Kauai
3.58               Kahana
, Oahu
0.20               Molokai
0.25               Lanai
0.00               Kahoolawe

0.85               Puu Kukui, Maui
1.29               Island Dairy, Big Island  

                                                       ~~ Hawaii Sunset Commentary ~~ 

Our trade winds will be lighter tonight through Friday…then increasing again this coming weekend into the first part of next week. We find near 1025 millibar high pressure systems (weather map), located to the northeast of the islands Wednesday evening. As the associated high pressure ridge, from this high gets closer over the next day or two, our winds will remain on the light side, arriving from the southeast. The overlying atmosphere will be somewhat unstable too, prompting a few downpours, especially over the leeward slopes during the afternoons…and perhaps along the windward sides at night locally.

As we look at this satellite image, it shows low level clouds over and around the state. We'll see these cumulus and stratocumulus clouds being carried over the windward sides, leading to showers falling at times. At the same time, there's high and middle level clouds, and even a few thunderstorms to the east and northeast of the state as well. As the air mass has become, and will continue to be somewhat unstable, daytime heating of the islands will lead to localized showers…some of which will be quite generous. Here's the radar image, so we can keep track of any heavy showers that decide to fall here and there.

Here in Kula, Maui at 530pm Wednesday evening, it was cloudy and at times foggy, with off and showers…and an air temperature of 68.2F degrees. The trade winds have become noticeably lighter today as expected, although won't stop altogether. Looking at this weather map again, we see an early season cold front moving east and southeast…to the northwest of our islands. This frontal boundary is pushing a high pressure ridge down closer to us in the process. This closer proximity of the ridge is why our local winds are easing up in strength now, and have shifted to the southeast as well.

As the trade winds remain relaxed over the next several days, we'll see daytime onshore sea breezes developing along our leeward beaches. This will carry moisture from the ocean over the islands, into the upcountry areas. This moisture laden air will cool and condense as it rises upslope…during the later morning through afternoon hours, leading to cloudy skies. These afternoon clouds will drop showers, some of which will be downpours here and there. This intensity will be caused by the instability in our local atmosphere, triggered by the cool air associated with a trough of low pressure aloft over the state.

As the sun sets each day, the sea breezes will stop sending that moisture inland, and the clouds will evaporate during the night. The offshore flowing land breezes after dark, will carry cooler air back down towards the beaches, making for slightly cooler early morning hours than we've seen lately both Thursday and Friday. Air temperatures will drop into the lower 70's and even the mid to upper 60's in a few places around the state, like Hilo and Kahului…coming down from the higher elevations of the nearby mountains.

If all of this is beginning to sound like the first signs of the fall season, you're absolutely right. By the way, the autumnal equinox arrives Saturday, September 22nd. Looking even further ahead, our trade winds will rebound this weekend, and become quite strong and gusty by Sunday into Monday. There will very likely be small craft wind advisory flags being hoisted over those windiest areas in Maui County, and the Big Island. They will back off again around the middle of next week, when another cold front approaches the state then. I'll be back again early Thursday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Wednesday night wherever you're spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Extra: youtube video…radical sport activities 

                     World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea:
Tropical storm Nadine (14L) is active about 165 miles south-southwest of Pico in the Azores. Sustained winds are 50 mph, moving east-southeast at 10 mph. Here's the NHC graphical track map for this tropical storm. Here's a satellite image showing Nadine. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Azores Islands of Flores, Corvo, Faial, Pico,Sao Jorge, Graciosa, and Terceira, Sao Miguel and Santa Maria. (The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about 1,500 km west of Lisbon and about 1,900 km southeast of Newfoundland). 

At the same time, we find a tropical disturbance active to the west-southwest of Nadine, located 700 miles east of Bermuda. It has a medium 40% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours. Here's a satellite image showing both Nadine and this area of disturbed weather in the central Atlantic.

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

Eastern Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

There's a broad area of disturbed weather south of southern Mexico, located a few hundred miles south of Acapulco, Mexico. It has a medium 30% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours. Here's a satellite image of this area.

Central Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Western Pacific Ocean:  Tropical depression 19W has formed  in the Philippine Sea, located about 660 NM east of Manila. This depression currently has sustained winds of 25 knots, although is forecast by the JTWC to strengthen into a tropical storm within 24-36 hours. Here's a graphical track map, along with a satellite image.

South Pacific Ocean:   There are no active tropical cyclones

North and South Indian Oceans:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Interesting: More research and better policies are needed to protect the world's most vulnerable seas, lying off the coast of West Africa and the Caribbean. The two regions have some of the world's unhealthiest seas, according to a new index that assessed the health of seas and their benefits to livelihoods. Its methodology was published in Nature last month (15 August).

The index rates seas in ten categories or 'goals', including water cleanliness, support for coastal livelihoods and economies, and food provision. It also assesses the state of coastal protection and biodiversity, seas' capacity for artisanal fishing, carbon storage and tourism, and the provision of natural products.

The study examined the overall condition of 171 exclusive economic zones (EEZs), UN prescribed 'sea zones' stretching 200 miles off-shore, over which states have rights of exploration and resource use. Sierra Leone was ranked last, followed by Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea-Bissau; and Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominica, El Salvador and Honduras are all among the bottom 25.

Ben Halpern, the study's lead author and director of the US-based Center for Marine Assessment and Planning, said that West African countries "could substantially improve overall ocean health by improving each of the goals". West African scientists say that investing in marine-related research and fish stock replenishment could help improve sea health.

Elvis Nyarko, head of the marine and fisheries sciences department at the University of Ghana, told SciDev.Net that West African countries currently only pay lip service to scientific research. The region needs more "funding for marine-related research […] so that more information can be gathered to better manage the coastal system," he said.

Nyarko added that countries should adopt Integrated Coastal Zone Management practices, an approach to coastal management that integrates different considerations and actors — including the navy, fishermen and researchers — to make coastal management more sustainable.