June 12-13 2006

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Monday:

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86

Temperatures early Tuesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:

Kaneohe, Oahu – 77
Hilo airport – 69

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Tuesday morning) on each of the major islands, including:

0.11 MOUNT WAIALEALE. KAUAI
0.01 MAUNAWILI, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.09 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.07 KAMUELA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1028 millibar high pressure system located to the NE of our islands. This high pressure cell has a ridge SW to the north and NW of Hawaii, keeping our local trade wind speeds in the moderately strong category Tuesday…ramping up a notch in strength by Wednesday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those funny weather symbols mean.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of near 14,000 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two webcams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.

Satellite Images – To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with the Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around the state during the day and night. This next image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible image. This next image shows a larger view of the Pacific…giving perspective to the wider ranging cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean…out from the islands. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Tropical Cyclone Activity – The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30…while the central Pacific runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map can be found by clicking here. For the central Pacific, the latest information can be found by clicking here.

Aloha Paragraphs

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There are lots of waves breaking here in Hawaii now

The lighter than usual trade winds of last week are now a thing of the past, replaced by moderately strong breezes across all of the islands now. A high pressure system is located far to the NE of Hawaii, in a normal position for this time of year. It’s associated ridge of high pressure, which last week was very close to the Aloha state, has now migrated northward to it’s usual late spring location in the central Pacific. All of this has prompted the return of steady trade wind breezes across our latitudes. Wind speeds will range between 5-25 mph for the most part through Tuesday.

As we get into later Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be some strengthening of our local trade winds. The numbers will ramp-up a notch into the 10-25+ mph range then, with gusts topping 30 mph in those windiest spots around the state…particularly around Maui and the Big Island. There are no marine warnings or advisories at this time, although we may see a small craft advisory flag being raised by Wednesday in some marine locations. The latest computer forecast models suggest that the high pressure system to our NE will weaken a little by the weekend, with the trade winds easing by then in turn.

In the rainfall department, we’ve started to see a few showers spreading along our windward coasts and slopes lately…after an exceptionally dry week last week. There’s still a stabilizing high pressure ridge at upper levels over the state. This is keeping those few showers, on the lighter side of the precipitation spectrum. Monday night into Tuesday morning may see some additional windward showers. Then again later in the week, we should see some increase in showers along those same windward sides, as the upper ridge is replaced by upper trough of low pressure. Despite this increase in windward showers, the leeward sides will remain sunny and dry in most places, other than perhaps the Kona slopes during the afternoon hours locally.

Storms in both the NW Pacific, and down near New Zealand, have generated swells for our islands now. The swells coming up from the southern hemisphere are common during the late spring period of the year. The surf coming in along our north and west shores however, are unusual for this late in the season. Meanwhile, the strengthening trade winds are generating their own swell too. The combination of all this incoming swell activity, will keep most of our local beaches in surf for the time being. None of this swell activity is expected to trigger a high surf advisory, and will be a boon for the local surfing community!

It’s early Monday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start this sunset commentary. It was another hot almost summer day here in the islands, with high temperatures at all the major airport weather stations, coming in with middle to high 80F maximum temperatures. The Kahului airport here on Maui has had the distinction of being the hot spot in the state for the last 4-5 days. Monday’s 87F degree maximum temperature again took the honors, with Honolulu just one degree behind at 86F. It’s a few minutes before sunset now, and as I swing around in my chair, it looks very hazy between here and the West Maui Mountains. There’s still lots of sunshine beaming down at the moment, with the temperature still a warm 75F inside my weather tower at just before 7pm…and cooler at 67F just outside in the shade. I have some leftover Ahi tuna for dinner this evening, which I’ll plate with a healthy portion of organic salad greens out of our garden. My wind chimes sound so sweet, with several Mynah birds chirping nearby. It’s a mellow evening, very peaceful indeed. I hope you have a pleasant Monday night wherever you happen to be spending it! I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with a new weather narrative, and if you’re so inclined, I’ll meet you back here again then. Aloha for now…Glenn.


I’m keeping the advertising links section open for a little while longer. Many of the current businesses (on the left hand margin of all pages on this website) are choosing to continue, although a couple have dropped out for this next three month period…replaced by new businesses. The cost of placing a hot link to your business is $50 per month, with a three month minimum. This keeps your link highlighted (on all pages) for three months at just $150. There are a few available slots available now. Please let me know of your interest by emailing me, or replying in the box below. I can put a link to your business the very same day you let me know you want it. Thanks…Glenn.