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

82 – 72  Lihue, Kauai
88 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
85 – 74  Molokai AP
8970  Kahului AP, Maui
85 – 70 
Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

2.31  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.71  Tunnel RG,
Oahu
0.30  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.42  Kula 1, Maui
0.10  Pali 2, Big Island

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

27  Port Allen, Kauai
27  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
24  Molokai
24  Lanai

17  Kahoolawe
28  Maalaea Bay, Maui

28  Kealakomo, Big Island

Hawaii’s MountainsHere’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 Storm Celia & Hurricane Darby are spinning well to the east of Hawaii…with what will be Tropical Depression 06E (Estelle)…trying to spin-up closer to Mexico as well


http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/EP04/refresh/EP0416W5_NL+gif/203556W5_NL_sm.gif
Tropical Storm Celia…continues to gradually wind down

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/floaters/04E/imagery/vis0-lalo.gif
Tropical Storm Celia is still quite vigorous, with 52 mph sustained winds…and gusts to 63 near the center

https://icons.wunderground.com/data/images/ep201604_model.gif
What the models are showing for Celia


http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/EP05/refresh/EP0516W5_NL+gif/205128W5_NL_sm.gif
Hurricane Darby…following along in the same general track as former Agatha, Blas, and current Celia

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/floaters/05E/imagery/vis0-lalo.gif
Hurricane Darby is still a relatively compact storm

https://icons.wunderground.com/data/images/ep201605_model.gif
What the models show for Hurricane Darby

 

 http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/vis.jpg
We see Tropical Storm Celia spinning into the picture on the right side of the image

 

 http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/vis.jpg
Clear to partly cloudy across the state, showery clouds associated with former Tropical Cyclone Blas…are approaching from the east of the islands – arriving later today into Friday

 

http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
Showers falling locally –
Looping radar image


~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

The trade winds will be light to moderately strong as we move through this week…increasing some by the weekend. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a near 1030 millibar high pressure system in the area northeast of Hawaii. At the same time, we see a trough of low pressure to the east of the state. Our trade winds are expected to maintain their light to moderately strong strength for the time being, perhaps picking up a tad Saturday and Sunday…and then pulling back some for a few days thereafter. As whatever is left of TC Celia passes by close to the islands, or probably not far north of Hawaii, we’ll see lighter breezes and very muggy air arriving Sunday or Monday for a day or two

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

Passing clouds and showers will affect mainly windward and mountain areas…although showers will be on the increase Thursday into Friday. We’ll find leftover moisture from now retired tropical cyclone Blas…getting carried across the state starting Thursday. The majority of these showers will fall along the windward sides…although not exclusively. We’ll have to wait and see what, if any, weather that Hurricane Celia may bring our way Sunday into early next week. It should be pointed out however, that Celia will be in a much weaker condition as it gets closer to our islands. The latest thought is that the southern periphery of Celia, as it moves by to our north, may bring some locally heavy rains our way…stay tuned.

Marine environment details: Winds and seas are expected to stay below the Small Craft Advisory threshold through the rest of the week. Stronger winds over the weekend may bring small craft conditions for the windier coastal waters…around Maui County and Big Island.

A new south swell is expected to build Thursday into Friday, then gradually subside through early next week, with surf along south facing shores remaining below advisory levels. A new east swell from Tropical Cyclone Celia will reach the islands Friday…and remain through the weekend.

 

  https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/83/11/cd/8311cd124f0fa04ca93f151ad5fe2494.jpg

 

Glenn’s Birthday is Thursday, July 14th, he will be 70 years old. Actually, I’m writing this, and calling myself Glenn, not sure why I’m not just saying my birthday is Thursday? Oh well, I was reluctant to give this information out, although with a certain amount of prompting by my Mom (who recently turned 94 years old), I decided to just let folks know. She’s always telling me that people appreciate what I do here, although somehow my mind doesn’t work that way. I just do this website, and have been since 1996, mostly because I love the weather…and just share it with you. This doesn’t mean that I don’t greatly enjoy this sharing, it’s just that I often kind of forget that so many of you reference my weather stuff, and have been for many, many years. I’ve received hundreds and hundreds of emails and comments, telling me that they/you appreciate it…so I do know. It just occurs to me now, to thank you deeply for returning day after day, month after month, and yes year after year, to check out what’s happening in the world of weather! I have no plans to stop these daily postings, and will continue as long as I’m able. Aloha…Glenn. 


Here on Maui
– Early Wednesday morning is dawning mostly clear. The air temperature was 52.5F degrees at 540am here at my place in upcountry Kula. Meanwhile, at about the same time, the Kahului airport was reporting clear skies, with a temperature of 72 degrees, while Hana was 70, Maalaea Bay 73…and the summit of the Haleakala Crater was reporting 45 degrees.

Early afternoon, clouds over the island have increased markedly, at least compared to the clear skies early this morning. Some of the upcountry clouds look as if they’re pretty moisture laden, we’ll see as the afternoon wears on.

Early evening, yet another great summer day, the clouds built up this afternoon, and let loose in a few areas, although here at my place in Kula, barely three drops fell.

 

World-wide tropical cyclone activity –

Tropical Cyclones in the eastern Pacific: The procession of tropical cyclones across the eastern North Pacific, which began with the formation of Tropical Storm Agatha on July 2, followed by Hurricane Blas (named on July 3), and Hurricane Celia (named on July 8), continued…with the formation of Tropical Storm Darby. As we know, Agatha and Blas have already been put into the history books.

If the Eastern Pacific manages to generate a Tropical Storm Frank before the end of the month…which is quite possible…this would give us six named storms for the month, which would approach the July record (from 1985) of seven named storms forming in the Eastern Pacific, according to NHC hurricane scientist Eric Blake.

Tropical Storm Celia’s days are numbered, and will likely be near retirement this weekend. However, it might bring some showers, which could be locally heavy…as it’s weak circulation center moves close to the islands in the Sunday-Monday time frame. Meanwhile, Hurricane Darby remains active, and remains a Category 1 storm. It’s too early to know for sure, although some of the computer models bring whatever that’s left of Darby relatively close to the islands later next week…stay tuned. Finally, there’s a tropical disturbance that may generate into a tropical cyclone, which has a medium 50% chance of developing over the next 2-days…increasing to a high 90% within 5-days. If and when this disturbance becomes more organized and strengthens, it would become Tropical Depression 06E…and could become Hurricane Estelle with time. 


>>> Atlantic Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: No active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days

>>> Gulf of Mexico: 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 Storm Celia remains active over the waters of the eastern Pacific…located about 1195 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along a satellite image of this tropical storm…and what the computer models are showing.

Hurricane Darby continues offshore from Mexico…located about 665 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this area…and the computer models are showing.

1.) Disorganized showers and thunderstorms extending several hundred miles south and southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, are associated with a tropical wave. An area of low pressure is expected to form during the next day or so, and environmental conditions appear conducive for this system to become a tropical depression over the weekend while it moves west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph.

This disturbance is being referred to as Invest 98E, here’s a satellite image of this area…along with what the computer models are showing.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/xgtwo/two_pac_5d0.png

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…40 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 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 2-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:
A Growing Crisis: Insects are Disappearing — And Fast
– We all know about the huge declines in bee and monarch butterfly populations. Now, it turns out that in some areas nearly all insects are at risk of extinction. And if we don’t solve this problem soon, the repercussions could be huge.

Insects are an important part of the global ecosystem. They not only provide important pollination services, but they also occupy an important place on the bottom of the food chain for many animals. Fewer insects means less food, leading to plant and animal population declines.

“The growing threat to [insects], which play an important role in food security, provides another compelling example of how connected people are to our environment, and how deeply entwined our fate is with that of the natural world,” said Achim Steiner, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, in a press statement.

One of the challenges is that insects are not well understood at an individual species level, because there are millions of insect species and only a limited number of insect specialists. Only about 20 percent of the world’s insect species are cataloged, and the symbiotic relationships that many plants have with insects are rarely fully understood.

“Unfortunately, information on invertebrates in general, including insects, is very limited, restricted to a few groups and a few localities,” Rodolfo Dirzo, an ecologist at Stanford University, told Yale 360. He was the lead author of a 2014 study that was one of the first to document the fall in global insect mass.

So, what’s causing the insect decline? In one word, us. The specific causes are likely very complex, but they are almost certainly connected to human impacts. It could be chemicals, like the pesticides class “neonicotinoids” that are connected to the bee declines. Or the growing number of rivers and waterways around the world that are polluted due to factory and agricultural run-off, or the still-growing number of pollutants we’re putting into the atmosphere. But one thing is almost certain: We are to blame.

“Their decline is primarily due to changes in land use, intensive agricultural practices and pesticide use, alien invasive species, diseases and pests, and climate change,” said Sir Robert Watson, vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, in a press statement.

Another oft-cited cause is the overuse of nitrogen fertilizer – something far too common in the monoculture corn fields of middle America. These corporate-driven, mono-culture farming methods are also to blame, as they limit the space for most insects and the plants to which they connect to survive.

Instead of waiting to discover the cause, we need to take immediate action now. That means reducing the number of chemicals we use, eliminating pollution and rapidly cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions, which also may be connected to what’s happening. It also means reducing the scale of monoculture farming and returning to more natural, diverse, bio-dynamic farming methods that increase biodiversity.

Because if we lose insects, we’ll soon lose a lot more.