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

82 – 67  Lihue, Kauai
83 – 68  Honolulu, Oahu
83 – 60  Molokai AP
86 – 63  Kahului AP, Maui
82 – 69  Kona AP
86 – 62  Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.02  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.01  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.00  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.01  Kahului AP, Maui
0.15  Kealakekua, Big Island

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

25  Port Allen, Kauai – SE
25  Kuaokala, Oahu – NNE
17  Molokai – E
15  Lanai – NE
27  Kahoolawe – NW
17  Kaupo Gap, Maui – SE
21  Kaupulehu, Big Island – NW

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
Active Pacific storm track moving west to east…
well to the north of the Hawaiian Islands

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/vis.jpg
A cold front is moving by north of Hawaii…with
thunderstorms far southwest

 

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/vis.jpg
Generally clear to partly cloudy…a few cloudy areas

 

http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
Showers increasing at times tonight…windward sides
looping radar image

 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~



Light to moderate trade winds gradually becoming south to westerly kona winds Friday into Saturday morning…with blustery and cool north winds later Saturday for a day or two. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean. We find a high pressure system far east-northeast. At the same time, there’s the tail-end of a cold front over the offshore waters to the north, extending southward from a storm far northeast of Hawaii. The trade winds will gradually give way to a south to westerly wind flow into the early weekend…ahead of a fast moving cold front arriving later Saturday into Sunday. In the wake of this frontal passage, we’ll find gusty and chilly northerly winds flowing over the state. It looks very likely that wind advisories will be issued over some parts of the islands by the NWS in Honolulu, along with small craft advisories over coastal and channel waters during this period. These chilly winds will blow into Monday and Tuesday of next week, although become lighter. The longer range forecast then shows another short period of lighter breezes…ahead of a much weaker cold front approaching the state during the middle of next week.

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

A cold front is moving by north of the state now…with the next front scheduled to push into the state this weekend. The computer models continue to suggest that we’ll see an uneventful period of weather over the state for the time being, at least through Friday. As we get into Saturday however, we’ll see a rather dramatic change in weather conditions. A cold front will influence the state later Saturday into Sunday, bringing a brief period of showers, and cool winter weather…which should extend into the first day or two of next week. This will necessitate bringing out that extra blanket for your bed during this period, and hunting up a sweat shirt too! Unfortunately, it appears that this frontal passage (fropa) won’t bring us all that much rain, as most of the precipitation will remain over the ocean to the north and northeast of Hawaii. Looking into next week, I’m seeing the chance that another cold front will approach the island chain around next Wednesday-Thursday…although again with limited precipitation prospects.

Special Weather Statement…gusty winds with a cold front are expected this weekend here in Hawaii. A fast moving cold front will sweep down through the island chain, bringing a brief period of showers. The cold front is expected to reach Kauai later Saturday, then move quickly down through the rest of the islands Saturday night into Sunday. Very cool, dry and gusty north winds are expected Saturday night and Sunday…in the wake of the frontal passage (fropa). It will be locally windy, with strong wind gusts possible downwind of higher terrain. As far as temperatures go, high temperatures Sunday and Monday will top out in the 70’s near sea level, with low temperatures dipping into the 50’s to lower 60’s into next Tuesday morning.

Here in Maui County…It’s mostly clear early Thursday morning. Here in upcountry Kula we have an air temperature of 46.5F degrees. The temperature at near the same time was 63 degrees down in Kahului, 68 out in Hana, 59 at Maalaea Bay…and 45 atop the Haleakala Crater. Meanwhile, Kahoolawe was 66 degrees, 64 at Lanai City, with 63 at the Molokai airport.

– We’re into the mid-afternoon time frame, it’s partly cloudy as I scan the Maui from my upcountry Kula weather tower. There seems to be a little haze starting to show up, although nothing much just yet.

– The sun is just sinking into the western horizon as I write, and clear to partly cloudy skies remain in place as we head into the night. The windward sides of Molokai and Maui will see light off and on passing showers into Friday morning, as will the Big Island. I expect another nice day on Friday, before we head into an interesting weekend…at least in terms of upcoming weather conditions.

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


World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

>>> Atlantic Ocean: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 hurricane season summary

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

>>> Gulf of Mexico: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

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: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 North Pacific hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 hurricane season summary

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: The central north Pacific hurricane season has officially ended. Routine issuance of the tropical weather outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, special tropical weather outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 hurricane season summary

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 / Arabian Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

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


Interesting: Loss of wild flowers matches pollinator decline – The first Britain-wide assessment of the value of wild flowers as food for pollinators shows that decreasing resources mirror the decline of pollinating insects.

The study, by researchers at the University of Leeds and University of Bristol supported by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Fera Science Ltd, combines vegetation surveys taken over the last 80 years with modern-day measurements of nectar to provide the most comprehensive assessment ever published.

An article published in the journal Nature today provides new evidence to support the link between plant and pollinator decline.

It reports substantial losses to nectar resources in England and Wales between the 1930s and 1970s – a period closely linked with agricultural intensification. 

By 1978, the researchers discovered that nectar resources had stabilized and actually increased from 2000. The findings fit nicely with a similar pattern in recent pollinator trends: two recent papers have suggested that declines in pollinator diversity in the mid-20th Century slowed down or partially reversed over recent decades.

Professor Bill Kunin, Professor of Ecology in the University of Leeds’ Faculty of Biological Sciences, said: “Wild bees and other insect pollinators are vital to the success of many important food crops and wild plants. It is therefore really important that we understand the relationships between floral resources and pollinating insect populations. Despite the stabilization seen recently, our research shows significant long-term declines in the diversity of nectar sources mirrored in a fall in the diversity of pollinator species. We are at a point where only four plant species account for more than half the nectar in Britain.”

Professor Jane Memmott, Professor of Ecology at the University of Bristol, said: “Over the last few decades despite stabilization, the diversity of nectar sources has declined – a trend seemingly mirrored in the diversity of pollinator species.”

The study also looked at the type of habitats most beneficial for pollinators, highlighting arable land as the poorest source of nectar: both in terms of amount and the diversity of sources. Improved grasslands could however contribute the most to national nectar supply if management favored greater flowering of plants such as white clover.

Lead author Dr Mathilde Baude said: “Nationally, a small number of plants contribute massively to nectar provision including clover, heather and thistles. These very common species are very important to ecosystem functioning, yet they are often disregarded.” 

Professor Kunin added: “Farmers on Agri-environmental schemes can plant wild flowers to help improve the value of their land for pollinators, but the areas involved have been small and thus the contribution to floral resources at the national scale is still low. On the other hand, there are vast areas of improved grasslands, and small changes in management to increase wild flowers could make a huge contribution nationally.”

This study provides new evidence for policy makers to help restore national nectar supplies for our important insect pollinators.