Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / June 8-9, 2015

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

84 – 75  Lihue, Kauai
88 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
83 – 71  Molokai AP
86 – 69  Kahului, Maui
85 – 74  Kailua Kona
83 – 68  Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.03  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.63  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.20  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.03  Hana AP, Maui
0.67  Kawainui Stream, Big Island

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

18  Mana, Kauai – NE
31  Kuaokala, Oahu – NNE
23  Molokai – NE
27  Lanai – NE
24  Kahoolawe – NE
24  Maalaea Bay, Maui – N
27  Puu Mali, Big Island – NE

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

Lots of high clouds in the deeper tropics to our south

Clear to partly cloudy…some cloudy areas –
looping version of the picture above

Showers falling locally…mostly along the windward sides

Here’s the looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands

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

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

The trade winds are well established across our area…lasting 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 profiler of the central Pacific. We find high pressure systems well to the north and far northeast of the state. At the same time, there’s a dissipating cold front extending southwest from a low pressure system to the northeast. The forecast has the trade winds continuing well into the future, perhaps through the remainder of this late spring season…although with the usual up and down swings in strength of course.

Pretty typical trade wind weather pattern…with no end in sight. The windward sides will see the most showers…which will get carried our way on the trade wind flow. The atmosphere will remain quite dry and stable however, limiting the amount of these showers in most areas. There will be localized afternoon showers over the Kona slopes on the Big Island as usual. The models are suggesting that we’ll see a modest increase in localized showers around mid-week for a day or two. I’ll be back with more updates on all of the above, I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Here on Maui...early Monday morning near sunrise, skies are partly cloudy mixed with some clear and cloudy areas as well. There’s also some smoke in the central valley, leftover from an early morning sugar cane burn. The air temperature here in upcountry Kula at 535am was 57.7 degrees, 74 down at the Kahului airport…and 41 degrees atop the Haleakala Crater.

– We’re into the mid-afternoon time frame now, with clear to partly cloudy conditions, although there are clouds clinging to the mountain slopes too. The trade winds are kicking up their heels today, as expected.

– I know by looking at the calender, that it’s still spring, however, it sure feels like summer to me! Even up here in Kula, the temperature popped-up into the lower 80’s, with sunshine baking down.

>>> 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

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days over the areas above

>>> Eastern Pacific:

Post-Tropical Cyclone 02E (Blanca) is located about 160 miles northwest of Santa Rosalia, Mexico. Here’s the NHC graphical track map

Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph with higher gusts – Final Advisory

Here’s a looping satellite image of this system  

1.)  Although the associated shower activity has recently decreased, satellite data indicate that the area of low pressure several hundred miles south of Gulf Tehuantepec has become better defined since yesterday. Environmental conditions remain conducive for a tropical depression to form during the next couple of days while this system moves slowly northwestward or northward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…60 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.

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:

Tropical Cyclone 01A (Ashobaa) remains active in the Arabian Sea, here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image – and what the hurricane models are showing

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

Interesting:  Why are some states reducing EV incentives? – First of all we have to say that the vast majority of US state authorities are continuing with their current electric vehicle financial incentives, with many actually increasing the amount of funds available, but some states are struggling. Connecticut, Georgia, and Illinois are just three states in the US where electric vehicle financial incentives are being tapered down. Whether or not they are reintroduced in the future remains to be seen but budgets need to be balanced.

Is this a reflection of the technology?

It would be easy to say that we are yet again looking at a false dawn for the electric vehicle sector but this would be wrong. There has been enormous government and corporate investment in the industry and it is inconceivable to even suggest it will fade away into the background as it has done before. The simple fact is that many states across the US, and governments around the world, are struggling to balance their books during the current tight economic environment and schemes such as financial incentives to switch to electric vehicles are feeling the brunt.

Is this the end of incentives?

As we suggested above, while there are signs that some states are struggling to maintain these incentives going forward there are also many states offering further incentive packages. These incentives on the whole are likely to continue for some time to come but the fact remains that the industry will at some point need to be self-financing and self-serving. There is no way that governments and state authorities around the world can afford to fund the industry forever although in reality great progress has been made.

It is also worth noting that at some stage governments around the world will recoup more than their initial investment when taxes and other charges come into play. These financial charges are unlikely to emerge until the industry is on its feet and moving forward. This could be 10 years away or it could happen slightly quicker but at some point governments will want their fair share of revenue going forward.

Is this a blow for the industry?

The reduction in some financial incentives cannot be seen as a positive for the industry going forward but in some ways the hard work has already been done. There are now more and more electric vehicles on the road, sales figures have reached record highs although there is still some way to go. The sector is now more recognised and more accepted by the general public than at any stage in its history and with extremely encouraging battery technology advances the issue of journey anxiety should soon become a thing of the past.

Conclusion

It was inevitable that some governments and some state authorities around the world would sooner or later run out of funding for their electric vehicles schemes. However, it is also worth noting that while some states have reduced the financial incentives, others have increased theirs. The industry is moving forward, technology is certainly advancing and while there is still some way to go, the electric car industry is stronger today than it ever has been. Mass-market entry may not happen immediately but many experts believe it is inevitable after the significant investment of recent years.