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

88 – 78  Lihue, Kauai
91 – 79  Honolulu, Oahu – the record high Friday was 93…back in 1997
89 – 75  Molokai
91 – 74  Kahului, Maui – the record high Friday was 93…back in 2004
90 – 79  Kailua Kona
80 – 74   Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.65  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.13  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.30  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
1.75  Kula 1, Maui
4.87  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

16  Poipu, Kauai – NE
27  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
27  Molokai – ENE
27  Lanai – NE
35  Kahoolawe – NE
30  Maalaea Bay, Maui – NNW
35  Waikoloa, 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

http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_ir_enh_west_loop-12.gif
  High cirrus clouds approaching from the west…they’re
the ones that give us good color at sunrise and sunset

 

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/vis.jpg
There’s an area of low pressure to our east-northeast,
it will slowly travel our way, and will interrupt our trade
winds later Sunday into next Tuesday…and may prompt
some heavy afternoon showers then too – not
to mention keep us feeling hot and muggy


http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/vis.jpg
Cirrus will be filter our Hawaiian sunshine at times


http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
Showers are impacting the islands locally
looping radar image

 

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

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~



The trade winds will continue to blow, although will falter again later this weekend…making for very sultry conditions. 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 high pressure system to the north-northeast of the state. At the same time we see former tropical depression Hilda, which is now a remnant low pressure system, moving away to the southwest of us. Our trades will range between light to moderately strong over the next day or two. We’ll find these trades stronger locally…as Hilda moves by. Looking beyond Hilda’s influence, a trough of low pressure, passing near the islands later this weekend, will cause the trade winds to weaken into next week, keeping very sultry weather in place over the state…in other words hot and humid!

We’ll see most of our showers focused over the Big Island…although not exclusively. Now retiring Hilda will continue moving by southwest of the islands, which is bringing clouds and showers mostly to the Big Island. This precipitation will be heavy enough to cause localized flooding in places…on that easternmost island. The smaller islands are a little too far north, to be on the receiving end of Hilda’s northern fringe of clouds, and will miss the majority of those heavy showers. As ex-Hilda passes, we’ll find unsettled weather following in her wake, with off and on passing showers. The atmosphere remains moist, which keeps the chance of a few heavy afternoon downpours in the forecast here and there. A low pressure trough passing near Hawaii Sunday into next week, may bring another increase in showers to the state then, with even a few more afternoon thunderstorms firing-off over the slopes for several days.

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 545am Friday morning, skies are clear to partly cloudy.  The middle level clouds in this partly cloudy mix…lit up a beautiful pink and orange at sunrise this morning! The air temperature here in Kula, at my upcountry weather tower was 63.7 degrees, while it was 76 down at the Kahului airport…with a cooler 48 up at the summit of the Haleakala Crater at about the same time. / By the way, I’m in the New York Times today, well maybe not the NYT, although I am in the Maui News again. I’ve been interviewed four times in the last couple of weeks, and yes Mom…I’m saving those papers for you to see this autumn when I visit!

– It’s the afternoon now, under partly to mostly cloudy skies, although there are a few sunny areas around too. Here in Kula, we’re covered with dark cumulus clouds, with moisture laden bases. While I was out walking before lunch, I had a couple of minor sprinkles, although it never let loose. It’s muggy, although the cloud cover, and the breezes, are helping to keep it manageable. / Now at 330pm, it’s lightly raining, although it is steady…now moderately heavy. / At 430pm, looking out across the island, its mostly cloudy, I think most of the rains are in the upcountry areas – with thunder – big thunder!

– We’re into the early evening now, and the atmosphere here on Maui feels unsettled, AND we’ve had some thunderstorms up here on the slopes of the Haleakala Crater! Thunderstorms aren’t common here in Hawaii, like they are in many other areas of the world…during the summer months. / It’s now 6pm, with moderate to heavy rain falling, and more thunder claps just up the mountain from here.

Friday Evening Film:  This time around I’m going to see a film that looks good, although certainly has a heavy edge. The critics are very happy with it, calling it wickedly smart…although apparently it leaves viewers on the edge of their seats too. It’s called The Gift, starring Jason Bateman, Joel Edgerton, Busy Philipps, Rebecca Hall, David Denman, and Katie Aselton…among many others. The synopsis: Simon and Robyn are a young married couple whose life is going just as planned until a chance encounter with an acquaintance from Simon’s high school sends their world into a harrowing tailspin. Simon doesn’t recognize Gordo at first, but after a series of uninvited encounters and mysterious gifts prove troubling, a horrifying secret from the past is uncovered after more than 20 years. As Robyn learns the unsettling truth about what happened between Simon and Gordo, she starts to question: how well do we really know the people closest to us, and are past bygones ever really bygones?  

As I had thought beforehand, it was a scary film, with the suspense growing more intense as the film went on. There were a couple of scenes that had everyone in the theater gasping a little, including myself. These twists and turns were just often enough to keep me on the edge of my seat, as predicted. As one critic put it: “a tense, uncomfortable work of high melodrama.” Another critic said: “The Gift burns slow, far more concerned with character than it is with easy shocks, and it’s because of this, that when those do come…they hit all the harder.” I was nervous going in, knowing that I was going to be moved, and I was a bit shell shocked coming out of the theater, and during the drive home too…as I anticipated. I’m glad I forced myself to see this film, as the acting was superb, and now I know what my limit is. As for a grade, well, both in terms of scary, and thrilling…it deserved an A- in my opinion, a really well done film. Here’s the trailer…it gives you a sense of what I’m trying to describe.


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 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.)   Showers and thunderstorms associated with an area of low pressure centered about 500 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula continue to show signs of organization. Environmental conditions are favorable for a tropical depression to form later today or Sunday while the system moves west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph away from the coast of Mexico. By Monday, conditions are expected to become less conducive for development.

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

Here’s a satellite image of this area, along with what the computer models are showing.

If this system were to become a tropical depression it would take on the title TD 11E, and if it were to strengthen into a tropical storm, would take on the name Ignacio

Here’s the NHC 5-day outlook

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 16W (Goni) remains active with sustained winds of 58 mph, and is located about 39 NM east-northeast of Rota. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map…and a satellite image…and what a computer model is showing.

Tropical Storm 17W (Atsani) remains active with sustained winds of 52 mph, and is located about 321 NM north of Ujelang. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map…and a satellite image…and what computer models are 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:  Toxic blue-green algae pose increasing threat to nation’s drinking, recreational water – A report concludes that blooms of toxic cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are a poorly monitored and underappreciated risk to recreational and drinking water quality in the United States, and may increasingly pose a global health threat.

Several factors are contributing to the concern. Temperatures and carbon dioxide levels have risen, many rivers have been dammed worldwide, and wastewater nutrients or agricultural fertilizers in various situations can cause problems in rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

No testing for cyanobacteria is mandated by state or federal drinking water regulators, according to scientists from Oregon State University, nor is reporting required of disease outbreaks associated with algal blooms. But changes in climate and land use, and even increasing toxicity of the bacteria themselves, may force greater attention to this issue in the future, the researchers said.

An analysis outlining the broad scope of the problem has been published in Current Environmental Health Reports, by scientists from OSU and the University of North Carolina. The work was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Science Foundation.

The researchers also noted that problems with these toxins reach their peak during the heat of summer – as they are doing right now.

In 2015, drought and low snow pack throughout the West has led to large and toxic algal blooms earlier than in previous years. Toxic blooms have occurred for the second consecutive year in the Willamette River near Portland, Ore., and Upper Klamath Lake and most of the Klamath River have health warnings posted.

In a related marine concern, all along the West Coast many shellfish harvests are closed due to an ongoing event of domoic acid shellfish poisoning, producing what is thought to be the largest algal bloom in recorded history.

Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous around the world, and a 2007 national survey by the EPA found microcystin, a recognized liver toxin and potential liver carcinogen, in one out of every three lakes that were tested. Some of the toxic strains of cyanobacteria can also produce neurotoxins, while most can cause gastrointestinal illness and acute skin rashes.

Exposure to cyanobacteria is often fatal to pets or wildlife that drink contaminated water, and there have been rare cases of human fatalities. Last year the drinking water supply was temporarily shut down in Toledo, Ohio, a city of 500,000 people, due to cyanobacterial contamination of water taken from Lake Erie.

“The biggest health concern with cyanobacteria in sources of drinking water is that there’s very little regulatory oversight, and it remains unclear what level of monitoring is being voluntarily conducted by drinking water utilities,” said Tim Otten, a postdoctoral scholar in the OSU Department of Microbiology, and lead author on the study.

“At this point we only have toxicology data for a handful of these toxins, and even for those it remains unclear what are the effects of chronic, low-dose exposures over a lifetime,” Otten said. “We know some of the liver toxins such as microcystin are probable carcinogens, but we’ve really scratched only the surface with regard to understanding what the health effects may be for the bioactive metabolites produced by these organisms.”

Otten referred to the “precautionary principle” of protecting human health before damage is done.

“In my mind, these bacteria should be considered guilty until proven innocent, and in drinking water treated as potential pathogens,” he said. “I think cyanobacteria should be approached with significant caution, and deserve better monitoring and regulation.”

The issue is complex, because not all cyanobacteria are a problem, and in fact they play many positive roles as primary producers in oceans and fresh waters. They are among Earth’s oldest life forms, and more than two billion years ago helped produce much of the oxygen that made much other life on Earth possible, including humans. But various strains of them have likely always been toxic.

Scientists said a concern is that nutrient over-enrichment may select for the more toxic populations of these bacteria, creating a positive feedback loop that makes the problem even worse.

Researchers said in their analysis that modern water treatment does a reasonably good job of making drinking water safe, but the lack of required or widespread monitoring remains a problem. No one should drink untreated surface water that may be contaminated by cyanobacteria, and another serious concern is recreational exposure through swimming or other water sports.

Cyanobacteria-associated illnesses are not required to be reported under the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines, as most pathogens are. This makes accurate assessments of the incidence and severity of adverse health outcomes difficult to determine.

A recent study identified 11 freshwater lake, algal-bloom associated disease outbreaks, and 61 illnesses from 2009-10, based on reports from New York, Ohio, and Washington. The most common symptoms were skin rashes and gastroenteritis. There were no fatalities.

Many large, eutrophic lakes such as Lake Erie are plagued each year by algal blooms so massive that they are visible from outer space. Dogs have died from drinking contaminated water, and sea otter deaths in Monterey Bay have been attributed to them eating shellfish contaminated with microcystin that came from an inland lake.

Until better monitoring standards are in place, the researchers note, an unfortunate indicator of toxic algal bloom events will be illness or death among pets, livestock and wild animals that drink contaminated water.

One cannot tell visually if an algal bloom will be toxic or not, Otten said, and traditional microscopic cell counting and other approaches to assess risk are too slow for making time-sensitive, public health decisions. But the future holds promise. New DNA-based techniques can be used by experts to estimate health risks faster and cheaper than traditional methods.

Cyanobacterial toxins are not destroyed by boiling. However, individuals concerned about the safety of their drinking water may use regularly-changed point-of-use carbon filtration devices that are effective in reducing these health risks.

People should also develop an awareness of what cyanobacteria look like, in a natural setting appearing as green, paint-like surface scums. They should avoid water recreation on a lake or river that has these characteristics, researchers said.