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

77  Lihue, Kauai
80  Honolulu, Oahu
79  Molokai
82  Kahului, Maui
84  Kailua Kona
78  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 830pm Sunday evening:

 

Kailua Kona – 79
Kahului, Maui – 72


Haleakala Summit –   43 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 32 (13,000+ feet on the Big Island)


Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’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.

 


Aloha Paragraphs


http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/ir4.jpg


http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif

A cold front is stalled near the Big Island, with windward showers
in its wake, especially for Maui and the Big Island, and the Koolau
Mountains on Oahu…with a few showers elsewhere – locally heavy

A prolonged trade wind weather pattern will continue through
the upcoming work week, with off and on passing windward
showers…and around the mountains during the afternoons –
with drier weather in general Wednesday through Friday

Another front is expected to arrive late Friday into next weekend –
which will bring strong and gusty trade winds, and locally heavy
showers…especially along our windward sections





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

23  Port Allen, Kauai – E
25  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ESE
27  Molokai – NE
31  Lanai – NE
32  Kahoolawe – NE
27  Kahului, Maui – NE
27  Upolu airport, Big Island – NE


Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands…as of Sunday evening (545pm totals):

2.92  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
6.97  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.19  Molokai
0.35  Lanai
0.01  Kahoolawe
3.89  Puu Kukui, Maui
4.04  Honokaa, 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 ~~~



Our winds will be trade winds…lasting through the new week ahead. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean. Here’s a real-time wind profile of the central Pacific…centered on the Hawaiian Islands. ~~~ We see a storm low pressure system far north of the state, with a cold front draping southward from its center…to the far northwest of the state. There’s the recent cold front, which passed down through the state…now stalled near the Big Island. Meanwhile, we see high pressure systems to our northeast and far west-northwest…with a ridge located to our north and northwest. Our winds will come in from northeast, with trade winds remaining active through the new week ahead. They will maintain more or less moderately strong levels through Friday, and then strengthen next Saturday into early the following week.

Satellite imagery shows showery clouds over our windward coasts and slopes…and over the mountain slopes around the state.  The leeward sides continue to see much less cloudiness, with generally fair weather prevailing. There’s the looping radar image, showing light to moderately heavy showers over the windward sides of the state, a few of which were quite generous over east Maui at the time of this writing. The leeward sides are generally clear and dry, which should remain the case into Monday. Looking at this larger satellite image, which is in the looping mode, we can see the departing cold front, along with another area of bright white higher level clouds, with embedded heavy showers over the ocean to our north. 

We’re now involved with a well established trade wind weather pattern…with no distinct end in sight. There will continue to be some showers around the state, particularly along our windward showers, and over and around the slopes at times too. The upcoming work week should find pretty nice late winter weather conditions, with the best sunshine possibilities over the leeward beaches. Looking further ahead, we could see another frontal cloud band arrive next weekend. This front will usher in strong and gusty trade winds, and a period of cool showers into early the following week, stay tuned for more details. I’ll be back early Monday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Sunday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Here on Maui, at the 3,100 foot elevation, at my upper Kula, Maui weather tower, the air temperature was 55.4 degrees at 620am on this Sunday, under mostly clear skies. It’s just light enough that I can see lots of showery clouds draped along the windward side of east Maui. According to satellite imagery and radar images too…the windward sides across the state will start the day off in a showery way. In contrast, glancing over towards Kihei/Wailea and the Lahaina sides, I see clear skies, and a nice morning weatherwise.

~~~ It’s now 11am here in Kula, under cloudy skies and light breezy conditions, with an air temperature of 69.4 degrees. This morning started off in a wonderful way, with clear skies and warm sunshine beaming down. Well, those lovely conditions have certainly given way to increasing clouds, with just partially sunny skies down in the Central Valley…into leeward areas too. I just shut the windows of my car, which is what I do when I get a sense of moisture. My neighbor always knows that when those windows go up, it won’t be long before showers start falling. He just asked me whether it was going to rain, I said not necessarily…but just being on the safe side.

~~~ We’re into the early afternoon now, at 130pm, under mostly cloudy skies, a very light gentle breeze…and an air temperature of 73 degrees. The clouds continue to increase this afternoon, although I haven’t seen a drop here in Kula. This looping radar image does however show quite a few showers packing up along the Koolau Mountains on Oahu, over the West Maui Mountains, and along the slopes surrounding the Haleakala Crater…and around the Kohana Mountains, and the southeast slopes on the Big Island too. Meanwhile, looking down the mountain here, I can see sunshine caressing the leeward beach areas of Wailea, Kihei, and Lahaina too. A light shower just arrived here at 230pm…I like it.

~~~ It’s now 450pm, under cloudy skies, with heavy rain falling! The air temperature is 68.5 degrees. This rain started off very lightly, just a soft little mist, but has really come down now…almost like a flood causing heavy downpour. I doubt whether it last long at this intensity, but it’s pretty darn impressive at the moment.

~~~ It’s now early evening at 540pm, with heavy rain still falling atop my weather tower here in Kula, with a cool 66.4 degrees showing on my outdoor temperature sensor. It’s been raining quite heavily for almost the last hour, and isn’t showing any sign of letting up just yet. It’s foggy too, with the temperature now having fallen slightly to 65.9 degrees at 555pm. Wow, what a big difference from how our day started off, light night and day so to speak.

Flight, the Genius of Birds…youtube video

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:


Atlantic Ocean: The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th.
Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

Caribbean Sea:

Gulf of Mexico:

Here’s a satellite image of the Caribbean Sea…and the Gulf of Mexico.

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

Eastern Pacific: The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15th through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


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: The Central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)


North Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones


South Pacific Ocean: Tropical Cyclone 17P (Gillian) remains active in the Gulf of Carpentria, Australia. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, and a NOAA satellite image.


Tropical Cyclone 18P is now active in the southwest Pacific. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, and a NOAA satellite image.

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

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


Interesting: Largest US grocery stores say ‘no’ to GMO salmon – Many The two largest grocery stores in the United States, Kroger and Safeway, have promised to not sell GMO salmon. Over 9,000 stores nationwide have now committed to being free of the controversial fish.


Kroger, the US’s leading grocery chain with 2,424 stores, informed Friends of the Earth of its decision in an email from Keith Dailey, director of media relations at Kroger.
“Should genetically engineered salmon be approved, Kroger has no intention of sourcing it”, Dailey wrote.


Safeway, the number two conventional grocer with 1,406 stores, confirmed their position in an email to Friends of the Earth last week and said they plan to post their statement online:


“Should GE salmon come to market, we are not considering nor do we have any plans to carry GE salmon. The seafood products we offer will continue to be selected consistent with our Responsible Seafood Purchasing Policy, Responsible Sourcing Commitment and our partnership with FishWise.”


Campaigners welcome the move


Dana Perls, Food and technology policy campaigner with Friends of the Earth, said: “By making commitments to not sell genetically engineered salmon, Kroger and Safeway have joined the large number of grocery chains, from Trader Joe’s to Target, that have wisely chosen to listen to the majority of consumers who do not want to eat genetically engineered fish”


“Now Costco, Walmart, Albertsons and other retailers need to catch up and provide their customers with what they want: natural, sustainable seafood that isn’t genetically engineered in a lab.”


Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of Center for Food Safety, said: “Genetically engineered salmon are bad for the consumer, bad for the environment, and bad for our native salmon. We call on all fish retailers to reject this dangerous product that consumers don’t want.”


The total number of companies committed to not sell genetically engineered salmon now stands at more than 60 retailers, including Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, H-E-B, Meijer, Hy-Vee, Marsh, Giant Eagle, and now Safeway and Kroger, representing more than 9,000 grocery stores across the country.


FDA: GMO fish, animals may not be labeled


Nearly 2 million people have written to the FDA opposing the approval of genetically engineered salmon, in response to Aqua Bounty’s revised draft environmental assessment in 2013. Despite this outcry, the FDA is still considering approving GE salmon.


It has also said it will probably not be labeled, so consumers will have no way of knowing if the fish they are feeding their families is genetically engineered.