Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / July 10-11, 2015

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

84 – 77  Lihue, Kauai
89 – 77  Honolulu, Oahu
85 – 71  Molokai
88 – 75  Kahului, Maui
88 – 77  Kailua Kona
87 – 75  Hilo, Hawaii

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

3.12  Wainiha, Kauai
2.42  Tunnel RG, Oahu
1.60  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.17  Lanai
0.15  Kahoolawe
2.15  Kahakuloa, Maui
1.05  Kawainui Stream, Big Island

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

20  Poipu, Kauai – NE
27  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
18  Molokai – E
33  Lanai – NE
25  Kahoolawe – NE
12  Hana, Maui – NNE
25  Kealakomo, 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

We have a tropical storm named Halola, and
tropical depression 02C in the central Pacific
more information below

This satellite image shows the big picture – Looping version

Tropical moisture is moving over the state – Looping version

Showers over the nearby ocean, reaching the islands
locally…especially Oahu
looping radar image

High Surf Advisory…east shores of all islands 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Our trade winds will continue…before faltering temporarily this weekend. 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 1026 millibar high pressure system to the north of the state. Meanwhile, there’s tropical cyclones south and southwest of Hawaii…moving more or less westward. Our trade winds will remain active for the time being. The remnants of former tropical cyclone Ela, moving by just to the northeast and north of the islands this weekend…will interrupt our local trade wind flow in the process. Looking ahead, the trade winds will return Monday onwards, helping to sweep away the very muggy conditions from our islands then.

As the trade winds continue to blow…there will be off and on windward showers. Our island weather conditions will be turning very muggy, with off and on showers locally this weekend. There’s even the outside chance of a peel of thunder and a flash of lightning…especially during the afternoon hours. It’s not out of the question that we could experience some localized flooding as well, as this high moisture area moves across the island chain. In addition, there may be more showers arriving later Sunday into Monday, in the wake of the dissipating systems passage…which may keep the windward sides off and on wet for several days thereafter. Finally, this former storm generated high surf, which is arriving along our east facing shores now, it should lower quickly Sunday. I’ll be back with more updates on all of the above and below, I hope you have a great Friday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Here on Maui…it’s 540am Friday morning, with mostly clear to partly cloudy skies over the leeward areas, with lots of low clouds banked-up against the windward sides…with showers falling. The air temperature here in Kula, at my upcountry weather tower was 57.2 degrees, while it was 76 down at the Kahului airport, 77 out in Hana…and 45 up at the summit of the Haleakala Crater at near the same time. / It’s now 1120am here in Kula, and the first light rain of the day just began.

– It’s now about 3pm in the afternoon here in Kula, and this morning’s clouds have evaporated…leaving lots of blue skies and sunshine. The eastern islands are in a dry slot now, ahead of more showers that are approaching from the east.

– We’re into the early evening hours now, and I’m not sure if I’m just imagining it or now…although it sure feels hot and humid before sunset! These will be the main events this weekend, in addition to the localized heavy showers…plus the high surf along our east facing shores. This cloud swirl, seen on satellite images above, are the remnants of a former tropical storm. The moisture associated with this swirl is extremely high, at least compared to what we’re normally used to in the islands. We’re going to be sweating it out Saturday and Sunday, with the rebounding trade winds, with their refreshing coolness, will be our saving grace after the weekend.

Friday Evening Film:  I’m going to see a film that I was going to skip, although changed my mind for a couple of reasons, which I won’t go into. My friend Jeff Kuhn and I will head down to Kahului, for dinner at Whole Foods, and then to see one called Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, and Morena Baccarin…among many others. The synopsis: Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent a global disaster. / I’ll be back with our opinion of this film in the morning, and until then, here’s a trailer of what looks like an action comedy.

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

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

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

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

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

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 Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea or Atlantic Ocean

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

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

1.  (Invest 97E)  An area of low pressure located about 1200 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California Sur is moving north-northwestward at about 10 mph. Shower and thunderstorm activity continues to show signs of organization, and conditions are expected to be conducive for the development of a tropical depression during tonight or Sunday.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…90 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent

Here’s what the hurricane models are showing for this area…along with a satellite image

2.  (Invest 98E)  Satellite images indicate that showers and thunderstorms associated with a low pressure system located about 300 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico have become better organized and a tropical depression appears to be forming. If the current trend continues, advisories will be initiated on this system later this morning. Interests along the southern and southwestern coasts of Mexico should monitor the progress of this disturbance.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…90 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent

Here’s what the hurricane models are showing for this area…along with a satellite image

I just looked at several model runs, and see that both of these areas will likely become tropical storms or even hurricanes…although neither of them will move into our central Pacific.

Here’s a satellite image showing both of these areas in 5-days

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:

Tropical Storm 1C (Halola) remains active, although poses no threat to the Hawaiian Islands…LOCATED ABOUT 555 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JOHNSTON ISLAND.

Here’s the CPHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this strengthening tropical cyclone.

Tropical Depression 2C remains active, although poses no threat to the Hawaiian Islands…LOCATED ABOUT 515 MILES SOUTH OF HONOLULU…HAWAII

Here’s the CPHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this strengthening tropical cyclone.

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Typhoon 09W (Chan-hom) remains active in the northwest Pacific. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image. Here’s what the computer models are showing.

Typhoon 11W (Nangka) remains active in the northwest Pacific. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image. Here’s what the computer model is showing.

>>> 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: Seabird Populations on the Decline – UBC research shows world’s monitored seabird populations, have dropped 70 per cent since the 1950s…a stark indication that marine ecosystems are not doing well.

Michelle Paleczny, a UBC master’s student and researcher with the Sea Around Us project, and co-authors compiled information on more than 500 seabird populations from around the world, representing 19 per cent of the global seabird population. They found overall populations had declined by 69.6 per cent, equivalent to a loss of about 230 million birds in 60 years.

“Seabirds are particularly good indicators of the health of marine ecosystems,” said Paleczny. ”When we see this magnitude of seabird decline, we can see there is something wrong with marine ecosystems. It gives us an idea of the overall impact we’re having.”

The dramatic decline is caused by a variety of factors including overfishing of the fish seabirds rely on for food, birds getting tangled in fishing gear, plastic and oil pollution, introduction of non-native predators to seabird colonies, destruction and changes to seabird habitat, and environmental and ecological changes caused by climate change.

Seabirds tend to travel the world’s oceans foraging for food over their long lifetimes, and return to the same colonies to breed. Colony population numbers provide information to scientists about the health of the oceans the birds call home.

Albatross, an iconic marine bird that lives for several decades, were part of the study and showed substantial declines. Paleczny says these birds live so long and range so far that they encounter many dangers in their travels. A major threat to albatross is getting caught on longline fishing hooks and drowning, a problem that kills hundreds of thousands of seabirds every year.

“Our work demonstrates the strong need for increased seabird conservation effort internationally,” said Paleczny. “Loss of seabirds causes a variety of impacts in coastal and marine ecosystems”

Such applications, he said, might include laparoscopic surgery, in which a robotic device could offer enhanced control and flexibility as it enters a body, moves around organs and bones, and then has the strength to accomplish a surgical task. It could find uses in industrial system, search and rescue robots, or anything that needs to be both resilient and flexible.

Seabirds play an important role in those ecosystems. They eat and are eaten by a variety of other marine species. They also transport nutrients in their waste back to the coastal ecosystems in which they breed, helping to fertilize entire food webs.

The study, published in PLOS ONE, is the first to estimate overall change in available global seabird population data. It is a collaboration between UBC researchers Paleczny, Vasiliki Karpouzi and Daniel Pauly and Edd Hammill, a lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney in Australia.