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

84 – 75  Lihue, Kauai
87 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
8472  Molokai AP
85 – 73  Kahului, Maui
85 – 73  Kailua Kona
82 – 69  Hilo, Hawaii

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


0.09  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.26  Waihee Pump, Oahu
0.10  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.03  Kahoolawe
0.09  Hana AP, Maui
0.89  Saddle Quarry, Big Island


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


20  Poipu, Kauai – NE
20  Kuaokala,
Oahu – NE
25  Molokai – NE
32  Lanai – NE

18  Kahoolawe – NE
24  Maalaea Bay, Maui – N

33  Kealakomo, Big Island – N


Hawaii’s MountainsHere’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://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_ir_enh_west_loop-12.gif
Lots of high cirrus clouds in the deeper tropics to our southwest
upper level low pressure system to our northeast


http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/ir4.jpg
Clear to partly cloudy…some cloudy areas –
looping version of the picture above


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

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 will continue into mid-week…although will diminish during the second half of the 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-northeast of the state. At the same time, there’s a dissipating cold front/trough extending southwest from a low pressure system far to the northeast. The forecast has the trade winds continuing, although having a marked reduction in their speeds Thursday through next Monday or so. This is yet another example of the unusual nature of our island weather conditions this spring. Climatology would suggest the trade winds remaining steady…with rarely an interruption this time of year.

Trade wind weather pattern continues…although taking on a more convective nature during the second half of this week. The windward sides will see the most showers for the time being…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 for the time being. The models are suggesting that we’ll see a modest increase in localized showers Wednesday and Thursday. As the winds back-off later this week, we’ll see afternoon clouds with a few showers developing over our leeward slopes. 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.

Here on Maui...early Tuesday morning near sunrise, skies are mostly clear, although with cloudy areas along the windward sides 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 530am was 52.9 degrees, 74 down at the Kahului airport, 72 in Hana, 64 at the Kaupo Gap…and 41 degrees atop the Haleakala Crater.


It was a hot summer-like afternoon up here, with the temperature reaching up a little above 80 degrees…with totally sunshine beaming down. I must admit it was a bit too sunny and warm for my liking.

We’re into the early evening hours now, and the sun is still shining down to the maximum degree. The last two days have been unusually sunny, and particularly warm in the upcountry east Maui area.


El Nino
There’s been lots of news pointing towards the El Nino conditions here in the Pacific Ocean lately. As a matter of fact, the El Nino developing in the Pacific this year keeps sending signs reminiscent of the most severe event in 1997-98. The 2015 El Nino, the first since 2010, continues to develop, and models suggest further warming of the tropical Pacific is likely. Sea surface temperatures are forecast to remain above El Nino thresholds for the remainder of the year.

El Nino related weather patterns can make Asia extremely hot as temperatures rise, hurting crops from rice to coffee and palm oil, while greatly limiting the hurricane season in the Atlantic, and bringing cooler, wetter summers to the United States. A sea surface temperature map for the week through June 9th clearly shows the pattern in the Pacific, with a warm tongue extending from the South American coastline…extended south of Hawaii, and on past the international dateline.


Here in the Central Pacific, El Nino typically influences Hawaii in the following ways:


1.)  More Active Hurricane Seasons

2.)  Four Most Active Seasons have been 1982, 1992, 1994, and 1997 – which have all been El Nino years
3.)  Greater Chance of Late Season Hurricane Activity
4.)  Drought Conditions during Winter Months
5.)  Numerous High Surf Events


The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) weather forecasters predict an above normal hurricane season in the Central Pacific Basin this year, and are expecting 5 to 8 tropical cyclones to affect the region. An average season has 4-5 tropical cyclones. That number includes tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes. Meteorologists believe El Nino will increase the number of storms to an amount above normal.


This outlook is based upon the expectation of El Niño continuing and possibly strengthening as the hurricane season progresses. El Niño decreases the wind shear over the tropical Central Pacific, favoring the development of more and stronger tropical cyclones. El Niño also favors more westward tracking storms from the eastern Pacific into the Central Pacific. This combination typically leads to an above normal Central Pacific hurricane season.


This outlook is a general guide to the overall seasonal hurricane activity in the Central Pacific basin, and does not predict whether or how many…of these systems will affect Hawaii.


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

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

 

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

 

1.)  Showers and thunderstorms associated with a low pressure area a few hundred miles southwest of the Gulf of Tehuantepec have become better organized since yesterday. Environmental conditions are conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form later today or on Thursday while this system moves slowly northwestward or northward.  Satellite image


* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…80 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.