Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / June 16-17, 2015

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

85 – 75  Lihue, Kauai
89 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
84 – 72  Molokai AP
87 – 72  Kahului, Maui
84 – 74  Kailua Kona
84 – 68  Hilo, Hawaii

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

1.46  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.03  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.00  Molokai AP, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.13  Hana AP, Maui
0.38  Honaunau, Big Island

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

20  Poipu, Kauai – NE
27  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
25  Molokai – NE
31  Lanai – NE
28  Kahoolawe – NE
29  Kapalua, Maui – NE
30  Kealakomo, Big Island – NNE

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

Upper level cirrus clouds moving over the state from the south – with
Tropical Storm Carlos near the Mexican coast…and
Tropical Storm Bill moving further inland

High cirrus clouds moving over the state – Looping version of this image

Showers…mostly along our windward sides this morning

Here’s the looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands

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

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

The trade winds will last through Saturday…with a possible break Sunday into next Monday. 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 high pressure systems to the west, northwest, far north and northeast of the state. At the same time, there are low pressure systems, with their associated cold fronts to the north of Hawaii. The forecast calls for stronger trade winds moving over the state today, continuing through these last few days of spring…into the upcoming summer season. There’s a chance that our trade winds may take yet another unusual break later this weekend into early next week.

Trade wind weather conditions will prevail through the next week. The windward sides will see a few showers, mostly at night…which will get carried our way on the increasingly strong trade wind flow. The moisture levels upstream of the islands is now drier than it has been lately, thus we should see an end to the interior afternoon showers that have been falling locally. We’ll move into a fairly normal late spring weather pattern, with nothing out of the ordinary expected until summer starts this coming Sunday. Interestingly enough, the models are showing the trade winds faltering again on Sunday, as the tail-end of a very late season cold front might move over the island chain…with an increase in showers into the early part of next week. I’ll be back with more updates on all of the above, I hope you have a great Tuesday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

– It’s another beautiful morning here on Maui, with very few low clouds, and even fewer high level cirrus clouds today. The minimum temperature here at my Kula, Maui weather tower was 51.1 degrees. The trade winds are starting off rather quietly this morning, although will be noticeably stronger as we push into the early afternoon hours. / It’s 1015am under mostly sunny skies, with the trade winds blowing gently at the moment.

– We’re into the afternoon hours now, and that thick cirrus cloudiness, which has been looming just south of the state…is now starting to stretch over Maui County. The north shore is still almost totally clear, while the south and west shores are beginning to have filtered sunshine from the cirrus, and up here in Kula as well. Speaking of which, they will likely give us a nice sunset this evening!

– Hi, it’s still too early to know if these high cirrus clouds will light up at sunset, although I’d suggest keeping your eyes peeled just in case. Looking at that satellite image above, this swatch of cirrus looks pretty intimidating, at least in terms of filtering and dimming our sunshine again tomorrow! By the way, I think it would be a good bet that our sunrise will be a colorful one on Wednesday!

>>> 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

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days over the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean

>>> Gulf of Mexico:

Tropical Depression Bill is dissipating bout 45 miles south of Waco, Texas, sustained winds are 35 mph, moving north at 13 mph. Here’s a NHC graphical track map, a looping satellite image – Final Advisory

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

RAINFALL:   Bill is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma and 3 to 6 inches over western Arkansas and southern Missouri. Isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches are possible in Texas and Oklahoma. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods.

WIND:  Wind gusts to tropical storm force are occurring in rainbands to the east of the center. These gusts should subside today.

TORNADOES:  A brief tornado or two may occur over parts of eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma today and tonight.

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

>>> Eastern Pacific:

Tropical Storm 03E (Carlos) remains active about 75 miles west-northwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, sustained winds are 45 mph, moving north-northwest at 7 mph. Here’s a NHC graphical track map, a looping satellite image…and what the hurricane models are showing

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

WIND:  Tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area today.

RAINFALL:  Carlos is expected to produce additional rainfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches across the Mexican states of Jalisco and Colima. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas of higher terrain.

SURF:  Swells associated with Carlos will continue to affect the coast of southwestern Mexico during the next day or two. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.

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

No tropical cyclones are expected through the next two days

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

>>> Northwest 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: Human Health Risks associated with Climate Change – From heat waves to damaged crops to asthma in children, climate change is a major public health concern, argues a Michigan State University researcher in a new study.

Climate change is about more than melting ice caps and images of the Earth on fire, said Sean Valles, assistant professor in Lyman Briggs College and the Department of Philosophy, who believes bioethicists could help reframe current climate change discourse.

“When we talk about climate change, we can’t just be talking about money and jobs and polar bears,” he said. “Why do we focus on polar bears? Why not kids? Climate change isn’t just people hurting polar bears. It’s people hurting people.”

The public has become fairly apathetic to climate change, he said. But moving away from “save the environment” messaging could help people focus on the serious health risks of climate change, even if they’re skeptical.

A prime example: antibiotic resistance.

People understand “superbugs” are dangerous, thanks in part to bioethicists’ efforts, Valles said. Working in interdisciplinary teams and contributing to policy discussions, bioethicists have helped to successfully communicate the dangers of “superbugs,” which have evolved to resist penicillin and other antibiotics.

The same thing could happen with climate change if bioethicists have a seat at the table. They could aid communication efforts by doing what bioethicists do best: public advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration, he said. And they’re experts in the analysis and communication of medical risk.

In addition, ethics will increasingly come into play as the climate change debate continues. Bioethicists could help mitigate tensions between skeptics and experts when dealing with complex socioeconomic issues, as they relate to climate change.

“It would be a major victory if slightly more often people would talk about the health effects, or at least try to imagine, the health-related risks involved with climate change,” Valles said. “There are some important justice issues at stake because the most vulnerable populations will feel the effects of climate change first.”

The study is published in the June edition of the journal Bioethics.