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

87 – 78  Lihue, Kauai
87 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
92 – 76  Molokai AP
90 – 72  Kahului AP, Maui – record Friday was 95…in 1951
88 – 76  Kona AP
84 – 72  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.65  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.90  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
 0.38  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
4.75  West Wailuaiki, Maui
3.56  Piihonua, Big Island

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

24  Port Allen, Kauai
31  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
27  Molokai
27  Lanai
37  Kahoolawe
 31  Kahului AP, Maui
25  South Point, 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

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An early season cold front is approaching to our north, although won’t reach Hawaii

 

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Thunderstorms in the deeper tropics to our south, loosely associated with a large low level circulation center, along with the leading edge of that cold front to our northwest

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Clear to partly cloudy with cloudy areas, along with high cirrus in the vicinity

 

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Some showers, locally generous offshore – Looping radar image

 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Light to moderate east to east-southeast winds are expected into Sunday, bringing volcanic haze (vog) to some of the smaller islands. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a moderately strong high pressure system well to our northeast. As our winds are now somewhat south of east, they are carrying increased humidity, along with some volcanic haze over the islands. This decrease in wind speed will occur thanks to an early season cold front, which will swing by to our north over the next few days. As this frontal boundary moves away from the state, and the high pressure ridge pulls away from Hawaii, the trade winds will rebound by Monday.

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 fall generally in the windward and mountain areas, with isolated showers carried over the leeward areas from time to time on the smaller islands. Otherwise, it appears that the next week looks pretty mild mannered. I’m almost hesitant to say that however, given the unusual weather that we’ve just experienced during this past summer season.

Marine environment details: 

A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect for most waters around Maui and the Big Island through tonight, with winds expected to drop below SCA levels on Saturday. Winds are expected to increase once again Sunday through early next week as high pressure rebuilds to our north, with SCA conditions returning to at least the typically windier locations around Maui and the Big Island.

Surf heights will generally be on the small side through the weekend and on into next week. A series of small southerly swells will continue to provide for some surf along south facing shores throughout the forecast period. A very small northwest swell is expected to fill in tonight and linger through the weekend. Easterly trade winds will continue to produce short period choppy surf along east facing shores.

 

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Most of the showery clouds are located over the warm offshore waters tonight


World-wide tropical cyclone activity…


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>>> Atlantic Ocean:

Tropical Storm 12L (Karl) remains active, located approximately 125 miles east-northeast of Bermuda. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing

Tropical Storm 13L (Lisa) remains active, located approximately 1130 northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, a satellite image…and what the computer models show

1.) A tropical wave, accompanied by a broad area of low pressure, is located south of the Cabo Verde Islands. This disturbance is expected to move rapidly westward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean at 20 to 25 mph for the next several days. Environmental conditions are expected to become conducive for gradual development, and a tropical depression could form while the system approaches the Lesser Antilles and moves into the Caribbean Sea by the middle of next week.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…medium…50 percent

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean: No active tropical cyclones

>>> 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: No active tropical cyclones

1.) A large low pressure area centered about 900 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California Sur is producing disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity. Satellite images indicate that the low’s circulation, although still broad, is gradually becoming better defined, and environmental conditions are conducive for a tropical depression to form during the next day or two. This disturbance is expected to move slowly northward during the next few days.

Here’s a satellite image of this area, being referred to as Invest 94E…along with what the computer models are showing

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…80 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent

2.) An area of low pressure located about 1500 miles east-southeast of the Big Island of Hawaii is also producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions are forecast to become more favorable for some development of this system by early next week while the disturbance moves generally west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low 10 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…medium…40 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

1.) An area of low pressure located about 1500 miles east-southeast of the Big Island of Hawaii is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions are forecast to become more favorable for some development of this system by early next week while the disturbance moves generally west-northwest.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Typhoon 20W (Megi) remains active, located approximately 582 NM southeast of Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing

>>> 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: Birds prefer quality over quantity – In a new study that upends the way ornithologists think about a young bird’s diet – but won’t shock parents used to scanning the nutritional profile of their children’s food – Cornell researchers have found that when it comes to what chicks eat, quality trumps quantity.

In recent decades, many aerial insectivores, such as tree swallows, have undergone steep population declines. Cornell researchers have demonstrated for the first time that the fatty acid composition in the tree swallow diet plays a key role in chick health and survival rates, potentially pointing to new ways to protect fragile bird species.

“This study really reforms the way ecologists see the food of wild animals,” said senior author David Winkler, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “From a preoccupation with how much food is available, we need to turn our eyes to what kind of food is available.”

For the study, researchers manipulated the ratio of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids [the good fat present in fish oil] to short-chain omega-3 fatty acids [the good fat in flax seeds] as well as the amount of food. Chicks given diets rich in long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) grew faster, were in better condition, had more efficient metabolisms and had a stronger immune response compared with chicks on a low LCPUFA diet.

The researchers found that chicks had higher growth rates and better body condition when they were fed a small amount of high-quality food than if they were fed a large amount of low-quality food.

In addition, chicks fed a small amount of high-quality food had similar immune responses and metabolic rates as those fed a large amount of low-quality food.

In the wild, tree swallows and other aerial insectivores typically forage on a mixture of aquatic and terrestrial insects. Aquatic insects are much richer in LCPUFA than insects that live on land.

“We found that aquatic insects are likely a far more important food source than previously thought due to their high-quality fats,” said lead author Lily Twining, a doctoral student in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology. “The destruction and degradation of aquatic habitats that produce insects with long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may be having important negative impacts on tree swallows and other declining aerial insectivores.

“This study provides new clues into how nutrition and food webs impact the decline of prominent species, and provides further incentive to protect freshwater habitats not only for aquatic animals like fish, but also for terrestrial animals like the songbirds in our study,” she added.

Tree swallow populations have declined 36 percent in the past three decades, a circumstance explained at times by reduced insect populations, ecological fragmentation and the effects of climate change. Other North American aerial insectivores – like nighthawks and chimney swifts – have also undergone similar major disruptions in populations