Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / September 29-30, 2014

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

86  Lihue, Kauai
90  Honolulu, Oahu – the record highest temperature for Monday was 93…back in 1993
89  Molokai
89  Kahului, Maui
M   Kailua Kona
89  Hilo, Hawaii

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

2.32  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.97  Punaluu Pump, Oahu
0.10  Molokai 1, Molokai
0.52  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.28  Hana AP, Maui
0.78  Kahuku Ranch, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph)…as of Monday evening:

16  Port Allen, Kauai
14  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
17  Molokai
15  Lanai
31  Kahoolawe
13  Kaupo Gap, Maui
20  Kaupulehu, 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

Rainy clouds remain over the offshore waters – thanks to a nearby
upper level low pressure system, triggering spotty rain and possible
thunderstorms into Tuesday…chance of flooding

Winds remaining light from the southeast – light trade winds return
Thursday through Friday…then southeast into early next week

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

>>> Atlantic Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

Shower activity associated with a weak low pressure area located a
little more than 100 miles northwest of Bermuda is minimal and
development is not expected. The low should move toward the north
and then north-northeast over the next couple of days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent

* Formation chance through 5 days...low...near 0 percent

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

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 Depression 18E (Rachel) remains active, located about 485 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California…with sustained winds of near 35 mph. Here’s a graphical track map…along with a satellite image

Here's what the computer models are showing for tropical depression 18E (Rachel)

An elongated area of low pressure continues a few hundred
miles south of Acapulco, Mexico. Although the shower activity has
changed little in organization during the past several hours,
environmental conditions are favorable for a tropical depression
to form later this week while the system moves toward the
west-northwest or northwest near 10 mph.  Regardless of tropical
cyclone formation, this disturbance will likely produce locally
heavy rains over portions of southern Mexico that could cause flash
flooding and mud slides.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...medium...50 percent 
* Formation chance through 5 days...high...90 percent 

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

>>> Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:  Tropical Storm 18W (Phanfone) remains active, located approximately 103 NM north of Saipan…with sustained winds of near 52 mph. 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

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

Interesting:  Connecting Productivity of Office Workers and Climate Change – Energy efficiency in office buildings struggles to gain the attention of top management, writes John Alker – because energy is too cheap to really matter. But with 90% of operating costs spent on staff, a new report shows that green building design makes employees happier and more productive.

There would seem to be no connection between the productivity of office workers and the great challenge of climate change. But a report published by the World Green Building Council suggests otherwise.

Globally, buildings are responsible for around a third of greenhouse gas emissions through their construction, operation and demolition. The humble office has therefore found itself on the front line of efforts to reduce energy use and combat climate change over the last 10-15 years.

But despite the IPCC showing that there is more potential for cost effective carbon mitigation in buildings than any other sector, a recent International Energy Agency report suggested we have tapped into less than 20% of this potential.

As world leaders convened this week to yet again agree that we need to take action on carbon emissions, it’s a valid question to ask how on earth we are going to have any success when we don’t seem to be able to do it in one of the easiest, most economical sectors.

People costs versus energy costs – 90:1

Part of the answer to that question is that – like it or not – energy does not cost enough for most office-based organizations to worry about, often representing just 1% of operating expenses. So energy efficiency often fails to get traction at board level.

Staff costs are another thing altogether – typically responsible for 90% of operating costs, with the remaining 9% going on rent.

This means that small improvements in employee health, sense of well being and resulting productivity are of tremendous value to employers. Poor mental health alone costs UK employers £30 billion a year through lost production, recruitment and absence.

What is really tantalizing, and at the heart of our report, is the prospect of low carbon buildings positively enhancing health, wellbeing and productivity of occupants.

It follows that if you can reliably quantify the human benefits of low carbon buildings, this provides a much more compelling return on investment than at best modest savings on energy bills.