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

83  Lihue, Kauai
87  Honolulu, Oahu
82  Molokai
88  Kahului, Maui
86  Kailua Kona
81  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 – 79
Hilo, Hawaii – 73

Haleakala Summit –   43 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 36 (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.tiki-realty.com/images/kauai-vacation-rentals-home-photo.jpg
Kauai beach and mountains

Trade wind weather pattern will continue…well into the future –
perhaps easing up a little by mid-week for a day or two

Windward showers arriving in an off and on manner –
fewer elsewhere across the state

Small Craft Wind Advisory…over the windiest coasts
and channels around Maui County and the Big Island

Celebrating Father’s Day!
 




The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph), along with directions…as of Saturday evening:

27  Port Allen, Kauai – NE
35  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NNE
30  Molokai – E
33  Lanai – NE
35  Kahoolawe – NE
30  Kahului, Maui – NE
36  Kamuela airport, Big Island – NE


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

0.16  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.06  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.04  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.16  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.20  Honaunau, 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 ~~~



Gusty trade winds will prevail through the 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 have a very large, moderately strong near 1034 millibar high pressure system located far to the north-northeast. This high pressure cell has an associated ridge extending southwest…to the northwest  and west of the state. Our local winds will remain gusty, with only minor daily variations in speed and direction through this weekend. Those places with the most direct exposure to this wind flow will top 30-35 mph in gusts during the days…lighter at night.

Satellite imagery shows scattered low clouds to our east and northeast. Looking at this larger looping satellite image, we see areas of high level clouds to our north, associated with an upper level low pressure system. In addition, there are high level clouds also active to the southwest, south and southeast…along with an area of thunderstorms well to the west of Hawaii.  Meanwhile, the lower level clouds are riding along in the trade wind flow…impacting our windward sides at times locally. These low clouds will bring some showers with them during the cooler hours of the night for the most part, and then diminish some during the warmer daytime hours. Here’s a looping radar image, showing just a few showers falling across the state, especially to the south of the Big Island…at the time of this writing.

We continue to be involved in a well established trade wind weather pattern…as we push through these last few days of our late spring season. I don’t see any surprises on the upcoming horizon, at least in terms of our generally pleasant weather conditions through the next 5  days or so. However, the forecast models continue showing what could be…a change arriving around the middle of the upcoming work week. The models point out an area of low pressure slipping over the state around Wednesday into Thursday. This low could prompt enhanced showers, although at this point, I’d suggest we hold this potential situation lightly. It sort of flies in the face of climatology, and perhaps just as easily, our long lasting trade wind weather pattern could continue instead. Time will tell, and of course I’ll keep you briefed-up on what the models are saying as we go forward from here. Otherwise, our weather will be fine, with the current gusty trades and passing windward showers at times. I’ll be back again Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Saturday 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 58.5 degrees at 605am on this Saturday morning. Skies are clear overhead, with just a few clouds around the edges…most of which are over the windward sides of the island.

We’re now into the early afternoon at 1235pm, under clear to partly cloudy conditions, light breezes…with an air temperature of 77 degrees. I just got back from shopping in Paia, and found clear skies over on the windward side, which is bit unusual. There is a quite dry air mass being pulled over the state on the breezy trades…which will limit showers everywhere this weekend.

It’s now 530pm on this early Saturday evening, under mostly clear skies, light breezes…and an air temperature of 79.9 degrees. Today was one of those especially nice days, particularly if you enjoy lots of very warm sunshine beaming down. Showers were at a minimum, although they will likely pick up some during the cooler night hours, into Sunday morning.

Friday Evening Film: This isn’t a film that I’d much been looking forward to seeing. Although, after having seen all of the other current films playing, at least the ones that I was attracted to, this one was the only one left that looked reasonably entertaining. It’s called Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, Sharito Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Stauton, and Juno Temple…among many others.

Here’s the synopsis: “Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.


As for ratings, the critics are giving it a moderately good 51% liking, while the audiences are upping that to 76%. The trailer is pretty good, in fact, that’s largely why I’m seeing it. Then, of course, there’s Angelina Jolie, who has a face that’s difficult to see too much…if you know what I mean. This was a good film, and I was glad that I ended up seeing it. It wasn’t my favorite of the year by any means, although it was captivating enough to be pleasant. I generally stay away from Disney films, although I felt they did a good job here. The scenery for this film was stunning, as were the costumes and general design…along with the many great flying shots! As for a grade, I liked it enough for a soft B+ rating.


World-wide tropical cyclone activity:


Atlantic Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones expected through the next 5 days
Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones expected through the next 5 days

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones expected through the next 5 days

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: Tropical cyclone 03E (Cristina) remains active, here’s a NHC graphical track map…and a satellite image of this tropical cyclone. Here’s what the hurricane models are showing for tropical storm Cristina. This storm will continue weakening through the remainder of her life cycle.


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: No tropical cyclones are expected through Monday night


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


Northwest Pacific Ocean: Tropical cyclone 07W (Hagibis) remains active in the South China Sea. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map…along with a satellite image of this soon to be weakening system, heading towards the China coast to the northeast of Hong Kong.


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: NASA Prepares To Launch First Satellite Dedicated To Measuring CO2 Levels – NASA’s first spacecraft dedicated to measuring carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere is in final preparations for a July 1 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.


The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission will provide a more complete, global picture of the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide, as well as their “sinks,” the natural ocean and land processes by which carbon dioxide is pulled out of Earth’s atmosphere and stored.


Carbon dioxide, a critical component of Earth’s carbon cycle, is the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate.


“Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere plays a critical role in our planet’s energy balance and is a key factor in understanding how our climate is changing,” said Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington. “With the OCO-2 mission, NASA will be contributing an important new source of global observations to the scientific challenge of better understanding our Earth and its future.”


OCO-2 will launch on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket and maneuver into a 438-mile (705-kilometer) altitude, near-polar orbit. It will become the lead satellite in a constellation of five other international Earth monitoring satellites that circle Earth once every 99 minutes and cross the equator each day near 1:36 p.m. local time, making a wide range of nearly simultaneous Earth observations. OCO-2 is designed to operate for at least two years.


The spacecraft will sample the global geographic distribution of the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide and allow scientists to study their changes over time more completely than can be done with any existing data .


Since 2009, Earth scientists have been preparing for OCO-2 by taking advantage of observations from the Japanese GOSAT satellite. OCO-2 replaces a nearly identical NASA spacecraft lost because of a rocket launch mishap in February 2009.


At approximately 400 parts per million, atmospheric carbon dioxide is now at its highest level in at least the past 800,000 years. The burning of fossil fuels and other human activities are currently adding nearly 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year, producing an unprecedented build-up in this greenhouse gas.