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

82 – 73  Lihue, Kauai
91 – 76  Honolulu, Oahu – record was 92…back in 1985
88 – 75  Molokai AP
89 – 71  Kahului AP, Maui
86 – 74  Kona AP
87 – 70  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

1.91  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.54  Makaha Stream, Oahu
0.90  Molokai 1, Molokai
0.33  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.29  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.64  Waikii, Big Island

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

21  Port Allen, Kauai
21  Kuaokala, Oahu
17  Molokai
07  Lanai
25  Kahoolawe
21  Maalaea Bay, Maui
24  Kealakomo, 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
Tropical Storm Celia & Hurricane Darby are spinning well to the east of Hawaii, with Tropical Depression 06E (soon to be Estelle)…now active 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…although slowly

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/floaters/04E/imagery/vis0-lalo.gif
Tropical Storm Celia remains active…with 46 mph sustained winds 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 more or less the current Celia

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

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 more or less towards Hawaii…on the right side of the image above

 

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/vis.jpg
Showery clouds associated with former Tropical Cyclone Blas are approaching from the east of the islands…arriving into Friday

 

http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
Showers will be increasing locally tonight into Friday – Looping radar image


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

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

The trade winds will be light to moderately strong…increasing some Friday and Saturday. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a strong near 1035 millibar high pressure system in the area far northeast of Hawaii. At the same time, we see tropical storm Celia still well to the east, soon to be crossing over into our central Pacific…from the eastern Pacific. Our trade winds are expected to maintain their light to moderately strong strength for the time being, perhaps picking up some over the next couple of days…and then pulling back some Sunday into early next week. This easing of the winds should occur, as whatever’s left of TC Celia passes by close to the islands, or probably just north of Hawaii. If this happens, 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

Enhanced showers, some locally heavy from former hurricane Blas…will arrive this evening into Friday. We’ll find leftover tropical moisture from now retired tropical cyclone Blas…getting carried across the state into Friday. The majority of these showers will fall along the windward sides…although not exclusively. We’ll have to wait and see, although it’s looking more and more likely, that Tropical Storm Celia will bring more showers 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 then. The latest thought is that the southern periphery of Celia, as it moves by just to our north, could bring some locally heavy rains our way…stay tuned.

Marine environment details: Winds and seas are expected to remain below the Small Craft Advisory (SCA) criteria for the time being. Trade winds will strengthen Friday, which will bring SCA conditions to the typically windier waters adjacent to the islands of Maui County and the Big Island through Saturday. The post-tropical remnant low related to Tropical Cyclone Celia is forecast to approach the area later this weekend. As a result, the winds are forecast to start backing to a northeasterly direction, and become lighter again starting Saturday night…continuing into early next week.

A new south-southwest swell will build through Friday. Surf produced by this swell is forecast to remain below the High Surf Advisory criteria along south facing shores Friday and Saturday, before gradually subsiding from Sunday through early next week.

A new east swell, produced by Tropical Cyclone Celia will likely reach the islands Friday, and remain through the weekend. The surf generated by this swell may be near the High Surf Advisory threshold along most east facing shores from late Friday through this weekend. This swell will eventually back to a more northeasterly direction and gradually subside early next week. A possible swell from Hurricane Darby may affect east facing shores during the second half of next week.

 

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Glenn’s Birthday was today…he turned 70 years old. Actually, I’m writing this, and calling myself Glenn, not sure why I’m not just saying its my birthday? 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 you 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, just because I love the weather…and like to 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, probably thousands 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. By the way, so many of you have written in the comment section at the bottom of this page, thanks so much! You will have to click on View All to access all the comments. Aloha…Glenn.

 


Here on Maui – Early Thursday morning is dawning mostly clear, although there’s smoke in the central valley…from a sugar cane fire earlier this morning. The air temperature here at my place in upcountry Kula, was 57.3F degrees at 538am. Meanwhile, at about the same time, the Kahului airport was reporting partly cloudy skies, with a temperature of 73 degrees, while Hana was 72, Maalaea Bay 75…and the summit of the Haleakala Crater was reporting 43 degrees. / Now at 1130am, I just heard that it was raining down in Kihei…of all places. Here in Kula, it’s getting very cloudy very fast, and the winds have gotten gusty all the sudden too.

– Early afternoon, and here in upcountry Kula, it just started to lightly rain….with what looks like more coming in several directions. I  can still see a little sunshine down in the central valley, although looks to be diminishing quickly.

– Early evening, it got so cloudy around this afternoon, dropping rain here and there, although here in upcountry Kula, I got three drops at my place…small drops at that! If you had a chance to look at the satellite images above, you probably noticed the rain that former Blas will bring us tonight into Friday…I hope it’s more widespread than just along the windward sides.

 

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, although for the time being continues to hold her own, now in the central Pacific. She might bring some showers, which could be locally heavy, as whatever is left of her weak circulation center moves close to the islands…in the Sunday-Monday time frame. Meanwhile, Hurricane Darby remains active, and is now a Category 2 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, Tropical Depression 06E has spun up in the eastern Pacific…and could become Hurricane Estelle later this weekend.


>>> 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:

Hurricane Darby continues offshore from Mexico…located about 820 miles west-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.

Tropical Depression 06E is now active offshore from Mexico…located about 370 miles south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this area…and the computer models are showing.

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: 

Tropical Storm Celia is now active over the waters of the central Pacific…located about 900 miles east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii. Here’s the CPHC graphical track map, along a satellite image of this tropical storm…and what the computer models are showing.

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.