Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday…along with the minimum temperatures Thursday:

81 – 73  Lihue, Kauai
82 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
79 – 68  Molokai AP
81 – 69  Kahului, Maui
87 – 71  Kailua Kona
79 – 68  Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.02  Mount Waiaeale, Kauai
0.01  Punaluu Stream, Oahu
0.19  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.39  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.83  Kawainui Stream, Big Island


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


32  Port Allen, Kauai
29  Bellows, Oahu
33  Molokai
46  Lanai
32  Kahoolawe
31  Kapalua, Maui
42  Kealakomo, 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/cpac/ir4.jpg


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


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


Our northeasterly winds will be strong and gusty into the weekend,
bringing fair weather conditions to our leeward sides…with off
and on windward showers, especially over the eastern islands

Small Craft Wind Advisory…most coastal and channel waters

High Surf Advisory…north and east shores of all the main
Hawaiian Islands except Lanai and Kahoolawe


>Happy Thanksgiving!<



~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~




The trade winds will continue to be strong and gusty over the next few days…finally relaxing some as we move into the new week ahead. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a real-time wind profiler of the central Pacific. We find a moderately strong, near 1029 millibar high pressure system to the northwest…which is moving into the area north of our islands. At the same time, we have gale low pressure systems to the northeast, with associated cold fronts located over the waters east of the Big Island…and just to the north of Kauai and Oahu. Gusty northeast winds will continue to move over the islands…strengthening locally into the weekend. Small craft wind warnings remain active over most marine zones around the state…likely continuing into the weekend. These blustery winds will finally ease up some as we move into early next week.

Stable stratocumulus clouds are banked-up against our windward sides locally, along with some light showers or drizzle in places…nice weather will prevail elsewhere. There’s an area of high cirrus clouds to the southwest of the state, which is passing by to the south of the state for the most part. Here’s the looping radar image showing a few showers still falling in our area…most of those are light and occurring along our northeast facing slopes of Maui and the Big Island. The leeward sides of the islands will continue to have generally fair weather, with lots of daytime sunshine beaming down. The computer models continue to depict a weak cold front slipping into our area around next Wednesday, although it doesn’t appear to be any big deal. In sum, there are no major weather changes expected through most of the next week. I’ll be back with updates on all of the above, I hope you have a great Thursday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.


World-wide tropical cyclone activity:


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


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.

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


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


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


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


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


>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: Tropical Storm 21W is active, as it moves across the South China Sea…towards the east coast of Vietnam. Here’s a JTWC graphical track map…along with a NOAA 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:  Europe’s Plastic Bag Agreement Contested by Industry – As lawmakers reached agreement this week to limit the use of plastic bags across Europe, industry voices warned that such rules will have a negative impact on trade in Europe’s internal market.


The ban could also lead to different standards in legislation in member states and ultimately, to a ban on other types of packaging, according to PlasticsEurope, the association of plastics manufacturers.


The European Parliament and the Council agreed on Friday (21 November) on EU-wide legislation obliging member states to reduce the use of plastic bags. The law will apply only to bags with a thickness below 0.05mm, because they are less reusable, and turn into waste more quickly.


‘Historic moment’


“This is a historic moment for all of Europe. For the first time ever, we have agreed on ambitious measures to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment,” said Margrete Auken, a Danish MEP from the Greens/EFA group, who negotiated the law on behalf of the European Parliament.


The new agreement, which is obligatory in all EU countries, gives national governments two ways to implement it. Either reduce consumption by 90 lightweight bags per citizen by 2019, and 40 bags by 2025, or have a mandatory charge by 2018.


These reduction targets will “limit the negative impacts of plastics carrier bag littering on the environment and encourage waste prevention”, according to a statement posted on the Council’s website. Most of the plastics bags end up as waste in the EU waters, and it takes “hundreds of years before they are fully degradable”, the statement said.


Average consumption of single-use plastic bags was found to be at 176 bags per person per year in 2010.


Under the new law, member states can also introduce a complete ban on plastic bags at their own discretion. Such a decision, if implemented, is against the principle of free movement of goods, said PlasticsEurope.


A full prohibition will disrupt the trade flow between the member states, as it will limit the export-import possibilities of such goods, it warned.


“It opens the door for member states to ban not only plastic bags but other types of packaging,” said PlasticsEurope. “Such an inconsistent political framework […] would hinder investments and innovation and would create barriers to trade in packaged goods in Europe.”