Air Temperatures The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday:

86  Lihue, Kauai
89  Honolulu, Oahu
84  Molokai
89  Kahului, Maui
87  Kona, Hawaii
83  Hilo, Hawaii


Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops on Maui and the Big Island…as of 943pm Saturday evening:


Kailua Kona – 81
Hilo, Hawaii -75


Haleakala Summit –   48
(near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 32 (13,000+ 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 – if it’s working.

 


Aloha Paragraphs



http://www.theqfamilyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Oahu-Hawaii.jpg


Small craft wind advisory…windiest coasts and channels
around Maui County and the Big Island


Moderately strong trades continuing…stronger at times


Generally dry conditions…with windward showers
arriving on Maui and the Big Island





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

22  Port Allen, Kauai – NE
33  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NE
35  Molokai – NE
27  Lanai – NE
35  Kahoolawe – NE
27  Lipoa, Maui – E
30  Upolu airport, Big Island – NE


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


0.03  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.01  Moanalua, Oahu
0.01  Molokai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.00  Lanai
0.02  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.21  Kawainui Stream, Big Island


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 image… and finally the latest looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands.


~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~



The trade winds will continue blowing through this weekend…although gradually becoming lighter into the new week ahead.  Here’s a weather chart showing two near 1027 millibar high pressure systems located to the north-northwest and north-northeast of the islands. At the same time we have tropical storm Pewa well to the southwest of Kauai…moving away into the western Pacific. There’s also a trough of low pressure to the southwest. Trade wind speeds will be in the moderately strong category, locally a bit stronger at times. The small craft wind advisory remains in force over those windiest areas around Maui County and the Big Island. The trades will drop a notch into the early part of the new week…as a cold front moves by to our north.

Generally favorable weather conditions…with windward showers at times through this weekend. Satellite imagery shows scattered low cloud patches over the ocean surround the islands, and being carried into the windward sides at times. Meanwhile. the south and west facing leeward beaches are mostly clear to partly cloudy today. At the same time, we can see high and middle level clouds, along with some thunderstorms, associated with tropical systems to the southwest of the Hawaiian Islands. Here’s the looping radar image, showing somewhat less than the normal amount of showers falling along the windward coasts and slopes. As we get into the later part of the day, we should see some increase in clouds and showers…especially along the windward sides of the Big Island.


Tropical storm Pewa remains active in the central Pacific, well to the southwest of the Hawaiian Islands…moving into the western Pacific soon.
There’s a tropical disturbance in our waters, although one with a low 10% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone over the next couple of days…to the southwest.  Here’s a satellite picture, showing this area circled yellow…along with TS Pewa. By the way, it appears that Pewa will become a typhoon as it gets picked up by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center as it crosses the International Dateline. There’s no danger of these tropical systems having any impact here in Hawaii. I’ll be back in the morning with your next new weather narrative. I hope you have a great Saturday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Friday evening film: I’m going to see one that I’ve been looking forward to ever since seeing the trailer the first time. It’s called Elysium, starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, and William Fichtner…among others. The synopsis: In the year 2159, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet’s crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium – but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens’ luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance bring equality to these worlds is Max, an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission – one that pits him against Elysium’s Secretary Delacourt and her hard-line forces – but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well. / The reviews are all over the map, ranging from incredible Sci-Fi…to pathetic political propaganda film. The rotten tomatoes film reviewing website shows the critics and the audience both gave it a 68% rating…which isn’t bad for this sometimes tough grading site.  ~~~ This film was lots of fun, and I was thoroughly entertained throughout! I liked the acting, all the high sci stuff, and found it to be full of astonishing imagery. This big budget film reaches for the sky impressively…and gets there in my opinion. As for a grade, I feel very comfortable giving it a B+ rating without hesitation. If you’re a sci-fi kind of person, this film will get you to where you wanna go.



World-wide tropical cyclone activity:


Atlantic Ocean: Tropical depression Erin
remains active in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Here’s the NHC graphical track map…along with a satellite image.

 

A LARGE TROPICAL WAVE IS EMERGING OFF OF THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA
SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. ALTHOUGH
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS LIMITED AT THIS TIME...
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AT LEAST MARGINALLY
FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS
THE DISTURBANCE MOVES WESTWARD OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC. THIS
SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE...10 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL
CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND A MEDIUM CHANCE...30
PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS.


ELSEWHERE…TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS


Caribbean Sea:
There are no active tropical cyclones


Here’s a satellite image showing the tropical disturbance noted above – along with what the various weather models are showing


TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.


Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

A BROAD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF 
OF MEXICO IS DRIFTING WESTWARD. SHOWER ACTIVITY IS MINIMAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE UNFAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT. THIS
SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE...NEAR 0 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL
CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND A LOW CHANCE...NEAR 0
PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS.


ELSEWHERE, TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.


Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)


Eastern Pacific:
There are no active tropical cyclones

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ABOUT 500 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST
OF ACAPULCO MEXICO IS PRODUCING DISORGANIZED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR
GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM…AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION
COULD FORM AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW
CHANCE…10 PERCENT…OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS
…BUT A HIGH CHANCE…70 PERCENT…OF BECOMING A
TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT FIVE DAYS
WHILE IT MOVES
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD.

Here’s a wide satellite image that covers the entire area between Mexico, out through the central Pacific…to the International Dateline.


Central Pacific Ocean:
Tropical storm Pewa (01C) remains active in the central Pacific. Here’s the CPHC graphical track map…along with a satellite image.


An area of low pressure centered about 980 miles southwest of Lihue, Kauai is moving west near 15 mph. Thunderstorms associated with the system have maintained their intensity over the past several hours. However, overall development has been inhibited by the circulation around tropical storm Pewa. This system has a low chance, 10 percent, of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.

Here’s a satellite image showing this tropical disturbances…along with tropical storm Pewa just to the west

Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)…covering our central Pacific.


Western Pacific Ocean:
Tropical Depression 12W remains active in the western Pacific. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map…along with a NOAA satellite image.


Tropical Depression 13W
remains active in the western Pacific. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map…along with a NOAA satellite image.Final Warning


South Pacific Ocean:
There are no active tropical cyclones

 

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


Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)


Interesting: China’s State Council has announced plans to make green industries central to the economy by 2015 – China is to fast-track expansion and investment in energy saving technologies in an attempt to tackle its worsening pollution problems. China is to fast-track expansion and investment in energy saving technologies in an attempt to tackle its worsening pollution problems. China’s cabinet, the State Council, recently announced plans to make the energy saving sector a “pillar” of the economy by 2015. In a statement the council said that under the new plan the environmental protection sector will grow by 15% on average annually, reaching an output of 4.5 trillion yuan (£474 billion / $438 billion USD).


China’s massive economic growth has come at a major cost to its environment and even its environmental ministry has described the country’s environmental situation as “grim”.


Under the plan, environmental protection industries will receive funding from the government in an effort to stimulate technological innovation. The funding will cover a wide range of technologies that address air, water and soil pollution including energy saving products, waste disposal, electric vehicles and pollution monitoring.


Many analysts welcomed the plan and some were quoted in the Chinese media as saying that it will create opportunities for investors and will give direction to the industry.


“It’s good to see this and it’s an indication that development of environmental protection and energy saving industry is a priority, since it’s coming from the State Council,” said Alvin Lin, China Climate and Energy Policy Director with the Natural Resources Defense Council in Beijing. The plan also includes policies, standards, pilot programmes, financing mechanisms and incentives, emissions and carbon trading said Lin.


However Lin believes that the plan is “vulnerable to being so broad as to be lacking focus and hard to implement.


“I think it could discuss more on the importance of implementing standards and policies in order to create the demand for the energy saving and environmental protection market, and the importance of accurate measurement and public reporting to ensure standards are met,” he said.


Ailun Yang, a senior associate with the World Resources Institute, said the initiative is “encouraging”. “It shows the ambition of the Chinese government to tackle its growing environmental problems while making the country the world’s biggest manufacturer of the environmental protection technologies.” She added however that more details need to be known before it is possible to assess the effectiveness of the new plan.


Tackling pollution has been a priority of the new administration under Xi Jinping, especially as pollution has become a major concern among Chinese citizens and is one of the main causes of social unrest. In an effort to tackle the problem, China has also committed to reducing its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45% by 2020 from 2005 levels and is aiming to increase renewable energy to 15% of its total energy consumption.