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

80 – 66  Lihue, Kauai
85 – 71  Honolulu, Oahu
83 – 68  Molokai AP
85 – 68  Kahului AP, Maui
86 – 74  Kailua Kona
83 – 72  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.63  Kilohana, Kauai
0.67  Ahuimanu Loop, Oahu
0.63  Molokai 1, Molokai
0.04  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.23  Ulupalakua, Maui
0.98  Kealakomo, Big Island

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

17  Poipu, Kauai
28  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
17  Molokai
18  Lanai
17  Kahoolawe
09  Hana, Maui
15  Upolu AP, Big Island

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
There’s a trough of low pressure northeast of the state

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/ir4.jpg
A low pressure system far northeast of the islands…thunderstorms
south…high cirrus west

 

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/ir4.jpg
Mostly clear to partly cloudy…with cloudy areas locally

 

http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
Showers falling locally…a few are quite generous
Looping radar image


Small Craft Advisory…Kauai northwest and leeward waters,
and Maalaea Bay, Maui, Pailolo and Alenuihaha Channels

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Returning trade winds into Monday…first on Kauai and Oahu. Here’s the latest weather map, showing high pressure systems far north and northeast of Hawaii. There’s an area of low pressure well offshore to the northeast of the state, with a minor cold front. Look for the winds to remain a bit on the light side tonight…at least from Maui County down through the Big Island. The forecast shows the trade winds bringing moderately strong breezes Monday into Tuesday…continuing through the upcoming new week.

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

Here’s the Hawaiian Islands Sulfate Aerosol animated graphic – showing vog forecast

Showers will form over, or move onto the islands locally…some will be quite generous. Leftover moisture, associated with the trough of low pressure near the state…will keep some passing showers falling along the windward coasts and slopes into the new week. It appears that a fairly typical, late spring trade wind weather pattern will prevail through most of the upcoming week, as we steadily move towards our upcoming summer season. The models continue showing the chance of some increase in windward showers Thursday into the first part of next weekend.

Marine environment details: Winds and seas will remain below small craft advisory (SCA) levels tonight and tomorrow. As high pressure builds north of the state, the returning trades will likely reach the SCA level of 25 knots through the typically windier channels near Maui County and the Big Island beginning Monday night…and continuing through the week.

A small north swell is expected to peak across the islands Monday. Small south swells are expected through the week, with a larger south-southwest swell arriving Wednesday and continuing through next weekend. This swell could bring surf near the advisory level for south facing shores as early as Thursday.

 

  https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/04/40/32/04403299da2d876c72fab8427ed94688.jpg
Iao Stream, coming out of the West Maui Mountains


Here on Maui – Early Sunday morning is dawning clear to partly cloudy. Here at my place in upcountry Kula, the air temperature was 54.5F degrees at 605am. Meanwhile, at about the same time, the Kahului AP was reporting partly cloudy skies, with an air temperature of 69 degrees, while out in Hana it was 68, with 72 at Maalaea Bay…and finally the summit of the Haleakala Crater reporting 46 degrees.

– The clouds quickly gathered over the mountains today, with rain arriving here at my place in upcountry Kula around noon. There were a few sprinkles previous to that, and now at 1255pm, it’s dry again. However, looking out and about, out over the rest of the island, there are lots of clouds still around. I reckon there will be more showers here and there during the afternoon hours.

– Early evening under partly to mostly cloudy skies. There were several towering cumulus clouds over and around the Haleakala Crater, and over the southwest slopes. However, as threatening as they looked, the resultant showers weren’t all that impressive. I expect that after sunset, many of these low clouds will evaporate, making way for a mostly clear to partly cloudy morning Monday.

 

Friday Evening Film: As usual, there are several films that I’d like to see, which are playing at our local theaters here on Maui. My friend Jeff and I picked the one called The Lobster, starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux, John C. Reilly, and Olivia Colman…among many others.

The synopsis, Colin Farrell stars as David, a man who has just been dumped by his wife. To make matters worse, David lives in a society where single people have 45 days to find true love, or else they are turned into the animal of their choice, and released into the woods.

David is kept at the mysterious hotel while he searches for a new partner, and after several romantic misadventures decides to make a daring escape to abandon this world. He ultimately joins up with a rebel faction known as The Loners, a group founded on a complete rejection of romance. But once there David meets an enigmatic stranger (Rachel Weisz) who stirs up unexpected and strong feelings within him.

The critics are feeling good to very good about this film, and so I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’m relieved to finally be seeing a film that’s not focused on action!

This film was simply bizarre (bizarre: very strange or unusual…especially so as to cause interest or amusement), no doubt about it. Jeff’s comment was that it was High Art, unlike anything that he had seen…at least lately. It was playing in the smallest theater on opening night, which was a sure giveaway. This was an adventure, a real plunge into complexity…lasting for a full two hours. One critic wrote: “The Lobster argues that the kind of pressure society places on us to find a soulmate can lead to reckless choices. But the movie gives the alternative – people who are happy being single – the same radical treatment.” We talked about the many, many particulars of this film driving back up the mountain, and we barely scratched the surface. It was interesting, we never got around to giving a grade, it would be a difficult task to say the least. I’ll go so far as to say…it wasn’t a B film, nor was it quite an A film. It was so unusual, and in the end, very entertaining on many different levels! This is certainly not a film for everyone, far from it in fact. Here’s the trailer, if you’re interested in taking a peek.

Saturday Evening Film: My friend Jeff, who lives with his lady friend about 1,000 feet above me on this slope of the Haleakala Crater, invited me up for a film. We sat outside on the deck and had a drink, ate dinner and watched the sunset. When it got dark we went in to see the 1996 film called Fargo. This famous film by the Coen Brothers, stars Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy, and Kristin Rudrud…among many others. The synopsis: a pregnant police chief is investigating a series of homicides across the frozen tundra. Against a sprawling Minnesota landscape, a car salesman hires two criminals to kidnap his wife. But when the scheme goes sour, and wood chippers get involved…the haphazard kidnapping plot turns deadly serious.

I’ve been wanting to see this film for so many years, and thanks to Jeff, I was finally able to mark it off the list of must sees. I really like films by the Coen Brothers, I think everyone I’ve seen so far. Despite the serious nature of this film, it had a rather pronounced dark comedy side as well. One critic wrote: “You have to grant the Coen’s their due as creators of suspense, mood and plotting, and for their ability to color the most monstrous crimes with an undeniably funny sense of the absurd.” Another wrote: “Returning to the horror-comic vein that launched their careers, director Joel Coen and producer Ethan Coen pepper their new picture with so much humor, that the occasional bursts of sheer mayhem seem more ridiculous than revolting.”

By the end of this very interesting film, which got an Oscar by the way, both Jeff and I felt the same way about what grade it deserved…which was a solid A-. It was a rather short film, running only an hour and 37 minutes, at least compared to what more current films generally run these days. It was one heck of a great film, yep you-betcha! Here’s the trailer in case you wanna take ah little look see.

 

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

>>> Atlantic Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: No active tropical cyclones

>>> Gulf of Mexico: Tropical Storm 03L (Colin)

Tropical Storm 03L (Colin) remains active, located about 285 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida. Here’s the NHC graphical track map…along with a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

RAINFALL: Colin is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches with isolated maximum totals of 8 inches possible across the northeastern Yucatan peninsula, western Cuba, western to northern Florida, southeastern Georgia, and coastal areas of the Carolinas through Tuesday.

STORM SURGE: The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…

Indian Pass to Tampa Bay…1 to 3 ft with slightly higher amounts possible in a few locations. Tampa Bay south to Florida Bay…1 to 2 ft.

Localized coastal flooding and dangerous surf are possible along the Atlantic coast from Florida to South Carolina within the tropical storm warning area.

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the Gulf coast within the warning area this afternoon, and the Atlantic coast within the warning area by early Tuesday.

TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are possible today and tonight across portions of Florida and far southern Georgia.

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: No active tropical cyclones

1.) An area of low pressure located about 1200 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula continues to produce disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Development, if any, of this system should be slow to occur while the system moves westward during the next day or two before environmental conditions become less conducive.

Here’s a satellite image of this disturbance, being referred to as Invest 91E…along with what the computer models are showing

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent

2.)  An elongated area of low pressure located a couple of hundred miles south of Acapulco, Mexico is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Some development of this system is possible during the next couple of days while it moves slowly northeastward toward the coast of southern Mexico. Regardless of development, locally heavy rains are likely through Tuesday over portions of southern Mexico and Guatemala.

Here’s a satellite image of this disturbance, being referred to as Invest 92E…along with what the computer models are showing

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 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: No active tropical cyclones

No tropical cyclones expected through the next two days…

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

>>> South Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones


>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: No active tropical cyclones

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


Interesting: Do You Conserve Water? You Could Probably Stand to Do Much More – Nearly 15 percent of the contiguous United States is suffering from moderate to severe drought, which makes water conservation critical in certain parts of the country. How do we convince people to save more water, though?

That’s the question that professors at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences put to the test. They polled over 1,000 people in Florida to determine which types of people would respond best to conservation efforts, and the answer is a little counter-intuitive: target people who are already saving some water.

From the responses, the researchers identified three groups of people:

  • Water savvy conservationists, who demonstrate a strong commitment to saving water
  • Water considerate users, who take some small steps to save water without fully committing to conservation efforts
  • Unconcerned water users, who put no thought into saving water


At first glance, it probably seems like we should be pressuring the people who do nothing to save water during times of drought rather than focusing on the middle group that is already chipping in.

The problem is, that’s not how the world works, and you’re always going to encounter people who refuse to do their part. Maybe they ignore science, maybe they feel the rules shouldn’t apply to them, or whatever. Whatever the reason, if they’ve ignored previous drought pleas, further attempts aren’t likely to be too successful.

On the other hand, water considerate users have demonstrated that they do care about the drought situation. Their modest efforts are helpful, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t several unexplored areas for improvement. These are the types of people who would likely be willing to do more to save water if given the proper instruction.

The UF researchers were most concerned with landscape conservation given Florida’s obsession with aesthetically pleasing green lawns. Apparently, this is one area where the water considerate users could commit to a major improvement, but many haven’t given it much thought.

The EPA reports that about a third of all residential water use is allocated toward landscape irrigation. Moreover, about half of the water used for this purpose could be saved if more efficient techniques were implemented – water-saving tricks that wouldn’t leave the lawns any less lush.

Ultimately, it’s to the private citizens’ advantage to make such changes to conserve water, points out lead researcher Laura Warner. Not only is it good for the planet and community, it would significantly reduce the cost of their water bills.

If you’re one of the people who thinks a little bit about conserving water but could stand to do more, check out Care2’s 20 Ways to Conserve Water at Home for tips that you can incorporate into your everyday routine.