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

80 – 71  Lihue, Kauai
82 – 72  Honolulu, Oahu
83 – 74  Molokai AP
84 – 74  Kahului AP, Maui
84 – 70  Kailua Kona
79 – 67  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

1.46  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.66  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
 0.27  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.97  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.79  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

29  Port Allen, Kauai
60  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
37  Molokai
40  Lanai
43  Kahoolawe
39  Maalaea Bay, Maui
50  Kohala Ranch, Big Island

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (nearly 13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. This webcam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands, and at night whenever there’s a big moon shining down. Also, at night you will be able to see the stars — and the sunrise and sunset too — depending upon weather conditions.


Aloha Paragraphs

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The Pacific storm track remains well north of our islands, with numerous gale and storm low pressure systems moving from west to east…in the prevailing westerly wind flow

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A dynamic area of clouds remains active west and southwest of Hawaii, with associated high cirrus clouds sliding over the islands from time to time – providing colorful sunrise and sunsets

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Those high cirrus clouds will dim and filter our sunshine during the days…with lots of low clouds being carried ashore by the blustery trade winds from the east

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Showers falling mostly along the windward sections – Looping radar image


Small Craft Advisory…all Hawaiian coasts and channels (25-33 knots)


High Surf Advisory…east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island


Gale Warning…Maalaea Bay, Pailolo and Alenuihaha Channels, along with waters south of the Big Island – (34-47 knots)

Wind Advisory…all areas except summits on Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii (30 mph with gusts over 50)


~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

 

Trade winds remaining blustery into the weekend…with a short break in sight. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a near 1034 millibar high pressure system north of Hawaii. This high pressure cell will keep our trade winds active into the weekend. The strongest trade wind speeds will occur now into Friday. This unusually windy weather will bring 50+ mph wind gusts to some areas of the island chain. These conditions are keeping a Wind Advisory in play over some parts of the island chain, along with Gale Warnings locally over the windiest coastal and channel waters. These blustery winds should begin to ease up later this weekend into early next week. The models are suggesting that a cold front will approach the islands, which would finally calm our winds down some, veering them to the southeast…perhaps bringing some volcanic haze (vog) our way then too. The trades are forecast to strong arm their way back into our Hawaiian islands thereafter.

Here’s a wind profile of the offshore waters around the islands – and a closer look

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

Windward showers will continue to fall locally, while the leeward sides will see fewer showers in general. A windy trade wind weather pattern can be expected over the next several days. Low clouds and showers will affect windward sides, with the gusty trades carrying showers to leeward areas at times. Besides these localized showery low clouds, there will also be high cirrus clouds passing over at times too. Drier weather is expected Friday into Saturday, then increasing some Saturday night into Sunday. Looking at the chances of precipitation early next week, it will depend upon exactly where an approaching cold front decides to stall before arriving. As it loses its temporary influence on our weather conditions by mid-week, we’ll slide right back into a typical late fall trade wind weather pattern, with passing windward showers.

Marine environment details: Strong trade winds continue to warrant a Gale Warning for the windier marine zones where the low level flow is most accelerated, while a Small Craft Advisory remains posted for the remainder of Hawaiian waters…due to both winds and seas meeting criteria. With little significant change in wind speeds anticipated into Saturday, these have been extended.

Near shore buoys indicate combined seas remain large over windward waters, primarily due to wind waves from the east, while seas are smaller over sheltered leeward waters. Combined seas are higher in the areas covered by the Gale Warning. Seas are expected to remain large over windward waters well into next week, based on guidance that indicates that winds will veer to the ESE Sunday and Monday. If this occurs, winds would remain relatively strong over waters east of the islands, with some decrease in winds through the channels and over leeward waters.

The large wind waves are sufficiently high to warrant a High Surf Advisory for east facing shores of the islands, and this has been extended through Saturday. Relatively small north-northwest swells will add to the sea state, with swells expected to arrive tonight and peak on Friday, and a similarly sized north-northwest swell expected Monday and Tuesday. Also, a small south-southwest swell is possible late Sunday and Monday.

 

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World-wide tropical cyclone activity…


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>>> Atlantic Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

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:

Tropical Storm 16L (Otto) has moved out over the eastern Pacific, here’s the NHC graphical track map, with a satellite image, and what 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: No active tropical cyclones

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:


Tropical Storm 29W is active over the Philippine Islands, here’s the JTWC graphical track map, with 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: Why Do So Many Big Earthquakes Strike Japan? – A magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck recently off the coast of Fukushima, Japan, likely along the same fault that ruptured in 2011, unleashing a massive 9.0-magnitude temblor that triggered deadly tsunamis and caused widespread destruction. Over the course of its history, Japan has seen its share of shaking, but what makes this part of the world so susceptible to big earthquakes?

The answer has to do with Japan’s location. The island nation lies along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an imaginary horseshoe-shaped zone that follows the rim of the Pacific Ocean, where many of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. In fact, 81 percent of the world’s largest earthquakes happen in this active belt, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

“The Earth’s surface is broken up into about a dozen or so major chunks that are all moving around. Where they all interact at their edges, interesting things happen,” Douglas Given, a geophysicist with the USGS in Pasadena, California.

Within the Pacific Ring of Fire, several tectonic plates mash and collide. In what are known as subduction zones, one plate bends and slides underneath the other, causing the oceanic crust to sink into the Earth’s mantle.

“From Alaska down to Japan and the Philippines, all the way down around the western Pacific — and then the boundary of the west coast of South America and central America — are all big subduction zones,” said Robert Smith, an emeritus professor of geophysics at the University of Utah.

Japan itself sits atop a complex mosaic of tectonic plates that grind together and trigger deadly earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

This recent earthquake off the coast of Fukushima was centered about 80 miles southwest of the epicenter of the 9.0-magnitude Tohoku quake that struck in March 2011. This means the magnitude-6.9 temblor could be an aftershock of the more-powerful 2011 quake, according to seismologists.

“There’s been a whole sequence [of aftershocks] since the 2011 earthquake,” Smith said. “These enormously big earthquakes have aftershocks that can continue for tens to hundreds of years. It’s very common.”

The 2011 earthquake released hundreds of years of pent-up stress within the subduction zone, and triggered an enormous tsunami that inundated the coastal Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, eventually causing a level 7 nuclear meltdown. While the recent quake was not as powerful as the Tohoku temblor, the entire region is still at risk of big earthquakes.

The Tohoku quake “was one of the biggest earthquakes we’ve recorded historically, but the fact is, the seismic hazard of the whole subduction zone is extremely high, so large earthquakes are more common there than other places,” Smith said.

Earlier this year, in April, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region in southern Japan, two days after a 6.2-magnitude temblor shook the same area.