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

78  Lihue, Kauai
83  Honolulu, Oahu
78  Molokai
81  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 810pm Thursday evening:

 

Honolulu, Oahu – 77
Hana airport, Maui
– 68


Haleakala Summit –   43
(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.

 


Aloha Paragraphs


http://everchangingperspective.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/110923-061727_hawaii.jpg?w=645&h=427

L
ighter winds Friday into the weekend – gradually
becoming southeast with voggy skies locally – trades
return early next week


Showers falling locally along our windward sides at
times…a few elsewhere – upcountry afternoon showers
take over Friday into weekend







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


27  Port Allen, Kauai – ENE
28  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
27  Molokai – NE
31  Lanai – NE
25  Kahoolawe – NNE
29  Kahului,
Maui – NE
28  South Point, Big Island – NE


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


0.13  Lihue, Kauai
1.66  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.45  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.78  Haiku, Maui
6.33  Piihonua, 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 become lighter into the weekend, from the southeast with time…then returning trades early next week. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a real-time wind profile of the central Pacific…focused on the Hawaiian Islands. ~~~ We see a moderately strong, near 1023 millibar high pressure system to the north of our islands. The tail-end of a weak cold front is located just offshore to the east of the Big Island, whose parent low, which is a storm…is located well northeast of the state. At the same time, we see a gale low pressure to our northwest, with its associated cold front approaching the state. Our local trade winds have been quite gusty, although less so than earlier in the week. Looking ahead, the winds will ease up more Friday into the weekend, as this next cold front approaches the state…followed by another increase in light to moderately strong trade winds early next week.

Satellite imagery shows quite a few clouds over and around the state…although the most rainfall has been falling over the Big Island during the past 24 hours.
Looking at this larger satellite image, which is in the looping mode, we see high cirrus clouds moving from west to east, generally to our northwest and northeast…and south at the time of this writing. Meanwhile, much of the lower level clouds are associated with an old frontal cloud band. This weather feature is draped over the eastern islands for the most part, and will bring off and on showers our way for the time being. Here’s a looping radar image, showing rainfall falling over the islands locally, certainly more than normal for Maui and the Big Island…compared to a typical trade wind day. Speaking of the Big Island, there have been several reports of 1-5+ rainfall totals during the past 24 hours…with the Piihonua rain gauge picking up a very generous 6.33″!

Our winds will be tapering off in strength during the next 24 hours or so…as the next late season cold front approaches the state. Looking into the weekend time frame, the models show this cold front approaching the state, although migrating by to the north of the islands probably. At the same time, it will cause our winds to slow down again, before increasing again early next week. This lighter wind episode will likely come in from the southeasterly direction…potentially carrying volcanic haze (vog) up over the smaller islands with time. Even further ahead, it appears that we’ll ease back into a fairly normal trade wind weather pattern next week. However, with that being said, the latest model output shows yet another late season cold approaching the islands later next week, stay tuned for more on that long range prospect. I’ll be back again early Friday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Thursday 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 57.7 degrees at 555am on this Thursday morning. Skies are partly cloudy, with calm winds, and no showers in this area. The trade winds are still evident this morning, although are well past their peak strengths this week…and will be relaxing over the next day or so. The residual moisture from the weak cold front that moved by near the state yesterday, remains in place today. It will hang around into Friday, and help to feed localized showers, especially over the Big Island for the time being. Otherwise, nothing too out of the ordinary in terms of weather at the moment, enjoy!

It’s now early afternoon at 1250pm, under cloudy skies with a very light mist, light winds…and an air temperature of 75.4 degrees.
Looking out and around Maui at the moment, it’s turned out to be cloudier than normal everywhere. As I was writing about earlier, much of this cloudiness is associated with the weak cold front that dipped into the state yesterday. This moisture has hung around, and will likely do so into Friday, with showers falling here and there…especially along our windward sides since the trade winds are blowing. Looking at this looping radar image, we see that despite all the clouds, there isn’t a lot of shower activity accompanying it…with the most coming in towards and over the Big Island at the moment. 225pm update on this mist, it has increased enough that my weather deck is wet now.

We’re into the early evening hours now at 535pm, under cloudy skies, with a heavy drizzle falling, calm winds…and an air temperature of 67.6 degrees. The clouds have hung in all day here over the eastern side of the state, although rainfall has definitely been concentrating over the windward side of the Big Island. My weather deck here in Kula is wet again, although there is no real intensity to this drizzle, however it certainly is getting things wet…without a doubt. 



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:
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: Litter Reaches Seafloor before Man – For the first time in the history of human exploration, scientists have found litter is now arriving before man himself.


A 10-year large-scale seafloor survey off the European coast has found the widespread presence of bottles, plastic bags, fishing nets and other types of human litter at all sample locations, many previously unvisited.


One researcher from the international study team commented: “Most of the deep sea remains unexplored by humans, and these are our first visits to many of these sites, but we were shocked to find that our rubbish has got there before us.”


Marine litter throughout the ocean has been documented and known to cause problems for marine mammals and fish when mistaken for food and eaten, or else when it entangles coral and fish—a process known as “ghost fishing.”


However, high cost and variations in sampling methods currently limit scientists’ ability to survey litter on the ocean floor in hopes of obtaining a comprehensive analysis.


To better understand the extent and composition of marine litter off the coast of Europe, scientists analysed nearly 600 seafloor transects over 10 years from 32 sites across the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea, at depths ranging from 35 meters to 4.5 kilometers.


Scientists used photos, videos, and trawling to survey or collect seafloor litter. They classified the litter into six categories, including plastic, fishing gear, metal, glass, clinker, and other.


Litter was found at all surveyed locations, ranging from coastal seas to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 2000 kilometers from land. Litter was also found at all depths, from shallow, 35-meter waters in the Gulf of Lion to 4500-meter waters in Cascais Canyon, Portugal.


The highest litter density occurs in submarine canyons, whilst the lowest density can be found on continental shelves and on ocean ridges. Plastics accounted for 41% of litter and derelict fishing gear 34%. Glass, metal, wood, paper, cardboard, clothing, pottery, and unidentified materials were also observed.


The authors hope these results highlight the extent of ocean litter and the need for action to prevent increasing accumulation of litter in marine environments.