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

82 – 67  Lihue, Kauai
88 – 72  Honolulu, Oahu
83 – 68  Molokai
85 – 65  Kahului AP, Maui
88 – 79  Kailua Kona AP
87 – 70  Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.03  Kilohana, Kauai
0.16  Punaluu Stream, Oahu
0.14  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.06  Hana AP, Maui
1.10  Waiakea Uka, Big Island

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

18  Poipu, Kauai – NE
24  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
20  Molokai – N
22  Lanai – NE
24  Kahoolawe – ENE
21  Maalaea Bay, Maui – N 
22  Upolu AP, 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
Tropical Depression 18E has formed far to the
east-southeast of Hawaii

Here’s a wind profile…of the offshore waters
around the islands – with a closer view 

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/vis.jpg
Generally clear to partly cloudy well east and northeast…
an area of unsettled weather is east-southeast of the Big
Island, possibly bringing showers this weekend, most
notably to the eastern Islands

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/vis.jpg
Clear to partly cloudy…some cloudy areas – the large cloud
area south of Oahu will move west of Kauai


http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
Scattered showers – looping radar image

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

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~



Our winds are now coming in from the more classic trade wind direction…prevailing into the weekend. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a wind profiler of the central Pacific. We find high pressure systems well to the northwest and northeast of the state. At the same time, we find several low pressure systems at varying distances far to our north through northeast. Our winds will come in from the northeast to easterly directions through the rest of this week. As a cold front approaches the state from the northwest early next week, our winds will swing to the southeast to south. We may see some volcanic haze moving over some parts of the state then.

We’ll find a few showers falling…which will increase at times locally this weekend. A fairly stable air mass is over the state now, with just scattered showers expected in most areas. There continues to be a large patch of clouds south of Oahu, which will migrate into the area west of Kauai, although with limited showers Friday. As we get into weekend, we may find an increase in showers arriving from the east-southeast or southeast, as a trough of low pressure brings its showers, some locally heavy, to some parts of the Big Island and perhaps east Maui then. The longer range outlook continues to show a cold front sliding down into our area from the northwest towards the middle of next week…bringing possible rain to the state then.

Tropical Depression 18E, which was previously being referred to as Invest 95E…is now active in the eastern Pacific. Here’s a satellite image of this depression, with the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) graphical track map…along with what the computer models are showing. Tropical depression 18E is forecast to strength into tropical storm Nora soon, and then further to hurricane Nora. The good thing about this tropical cyclone, which we see by looking at the forecast track, is it that it takes an abrupt turn towards the north, well to our east…after entering our central Pacific. If this pans out as expected, our Hawaiian Islands would see no direct influence in terms of clouds, rain and wind. We may eventually see some rise in our surf along the east or southeast shores next week however.

Here on Maui…It’s 6am Thursday morning with partly cloudy skies in general. There was a wonderful celestial sight this morning in the eastern horizon before sunrise. A new sliver moon had a large planet located just below it…it was unusual and lovely to see first thing in the morning! We may see this arrangement again Friday morning, depending upon cloud cover then.

– We’re into the afternoon, barely, but past 12 nonetheless. It’s such a gentle day, with a nice blend of sunny and partly sunny overall…at least for the most part. / It’s now 125pm, and the clouds are collecting pretty well around the slopes of the Haleakala Crater, with even a few very lights sprinkles now starting fall here at my Kula weather tower…I like that. It still looks pretty down at the beaches, or at least partly sunny in most areas.

– Early Thursday evening, and it continues to be a very tranquil day here on Maui, with lighter trade winds, and mostly dry conditions. As we head into the night, I anticipate partly cloudy skies, with a few showers. Friday looks pretty much like a repeat of today, which will make it another great early autumn day. I keep meaning to mention that my annual autumn vacation is coming up later this month, I’ll have more to say about it over the next week or so.

I’ll be back with many more updates on all of the above and below, I hope you have a great Thursday wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.


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

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

>>> Eastern Pacific: 

Tropical Depression 18E is now active in the eastern Pacific Ocean, located 1670 miles east-southeast of South Point, Hawaii, with sustained winds of 35 mph. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this system

1.)  An area of low pressure is likely to form several hundred miles south of southeastern Mexico late this weekend. Environmental conditions could become conducive for some development of this system next week while it moves westward at about 10 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low 30 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

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:  Researchers trace how birds, fish go with the flow – Fish and birds, when moving in groups, could use two “gears”—one slow and another fast—in ways that conserve energy, a team of New York University researchers has concluded. Its findings offer new insights into the contours of air and water flows–knowledge that could be used to develop more energy-efficient modes of transportation.

“Some beautiful physics is at work in schools and flocks, with each individual creating a wave in the fluid while also ‘surfing’ on the wave left by its upstream neighbor,” says Leif Ristroph, an assistant professor in NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences who led the study.

The study, which appears in the journal Nature Communications, employs an innovative methodology—one that mimics infinitely large schools or flocks within the confines of a New York City laboratory.

The research team created a robotic ‘school’ in which the swimmers are 3D-printed plastic wings that flap and swim around a water tank. The trick, they note, was to have the wings swim in circular orbits, similar to the whirling blades of a fan or helicopter, so that each moves within the flow generated by all in their previous orbits. By moving in a circular motion, thus establishing and responding to its own wake, a small set of wings can mimic an infinitely long array.

In gauging the movements of this school, the researchers found that while a lone swimmer moves at a well-defined swimming speed, larger groups take one of two speeds. In “first gear,” each swimmer traces out the same path through the fluid and goes with the flow created by its upstream neighbor, and the school as a whole swims slowly. “Second gear” is a fast mode in which each individual flaps counter to its neighbor and against the flow it encounters.

The researchers then conducted computer simulations in an attempt to understand more about these distinct speeds. Their results showed that the slower first mode saves on the energy required to swim—and therefore would be ideal for cruising or migrating—while the faster second gear burns more energy, but would be advantageous for fast escapes from predators.

The team sees its findings as applicable to the aerodynamics of bird flocks, with air replacing water as the flows to be navigated.

Moreover, they note the results yield a greater understanding of the principles of water and air flow—knowledge that could be harnessed by boats and planes to more efficiently capture energy from ocean waves or atmospheric turbulence.