July 21-22 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 85
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 89
Hilo, Hawaii – 82
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

Temperatures early Saturday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 5 a.m. hour:

KANEOHE, OAHU – 76
MOLOKAI AIRPORT – 67

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

1.65 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.17 PUNALUU PUMP, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.01 HANA AIRPORT, MAUI
1.21 KEALAKEKUA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the NW and NE of our islands. At the same time we find a trough of low pressure just northwest of Kauai. Our local trade winds will remain light today, then pick up a little on Sunday. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

Great sunset and sunrise colors now!

The Hawaiian Islands will see one more day of lighter than normal trade winds blowing. These lighter than normal breezes have kept our local atmosphere feeling pretty hot and locally muggy for the last several days. The usual July trade wind flow has been interrupted by the passage to our north of former hurricane Bud, and an usually deep low pressure system far to the north, sending its cold front/trough southward in our direction. This trough has broken the connection (ridge) between two high pressure systems, one located to the NE and the other to the NW. The latest weather charts show that the trade winds will start picking up in strength this weekend, and remain active into next week. High cirrus clouds are covering many parts of the islands now, with good sunrise and sunset colors to see!

Most rain gauges have remained quite dry this week, although there have been a few showers around in places. Most of those have been on the light side, although there have been a couple of occasions when a few briefly heavier showers have fallen over some of the islands. The softer than normal trade winds now may set the stage for a few more of those locally heavy showers here and there, although it certainly won’t be wide spread. As the trade winds return this weekend, the bias for showers will move back over to the windward sides of the islands. Satellite images show an area of moisture to our east, which is associated with former eastern Pacific hurricane Carlotta. There will be a slim chance of seeing a modest increase in windward showers later Sunday into Monday from this source.

The big news of course is very impressive hurricane Daniel far to the ESE of Hawaii, spinning wildly in the eastern Pacific. It’s now a category 4 hurricane, with an impressive nearly circular form, as shown by this satellite image. As you can see, it has a definite central eye, surrounded by a tight field of clouds. Winds are very strong around the center of this fifth tropical cyclone of the hurricane season in the eastern Pacific…raging all the way up into the 180+ mph range in gusts! It is peaking in strength Friday into the night, and then forecast to very gradually begin weakening this weekend. A new tropical cyclone, 06E has formed to the east of Daniel, and will be called Emilia. It’s still too early to know exactly what influence Daniel will have, late next week, when it might get near to the Hawaiian Islands, although indicators are that whatever is left of this storm will be in a much weaker form then…and may move to the north of the Hawaiian Islands. I’ve added this tracking map for your convenience, to keep you updated on Daniel's progress westward.

 
It’s early Friday morning here in Kula, Maui, as I start this last paragraph of today's narrative. Glancing out of my weather tower window I see the planet Venus low on the eastern horizon, and then up above that love planet, we find the sliver of a crescent moon shining. If you have any interest in hurricane Daniel, now in the eastern Pacific, I highly suggest you scroll back up this page and read about this powerful category 4 tempest. I'm not sweating over this storm, although it certainly is a force to be monitored closely. The way it looks at the moment, the track would take whatever is left of Daniel to the north of the Hawaiian Islands, perhaps cutting off our trade winds late next week. Although there is at least one computer forecast model that suggests it would come quite close to Hawaii, which could then bring some increase in showers with it then. It's still too early to know for sure, and there will be lots more information coming out in regards to Mr. Daniel! I'll be back later with more weather updates, I hope you have a great Friday. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I’d like to highlight the next advertising link on the left hand margin of all the pages on this website. This time it’s Kanaha Kai Maui Surf Shop. Kanaha Kai Maui is equipped with the latest product offerings from Hot Sails Maui, Gaastra, Cabrinha, Tabou, Mistral, Starboard, Real Wind and Angulo. The store is stocked with softgoods by Rusty, Girl Star, Aaron Chang, Skechers, Lucy Love, West and Toes on the Nose to name a few.  "The Passion Lives Here!"   Our passion and commitment for watersports is expressed through living the dream. Our work is our play. Because of this, our superior customer service and people are here to help prepare you for your ultimate experience. Our people make the difference.

July 20-21 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 91
Hilo, Hawaii – 85
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

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

LIHUE, KAUAI – 77
KAHULUI, MAUI – 70

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

0.10 WAINIHA, KAUAI
0.178 WAIPIO, OAHU
0.06 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.10 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.18 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the NW and NE of our islands. At the same time we find a trough of low pressure just north of Kauai. Our local trade winds will remain light today, then pick up some by later in the day Saturday. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

The end of another perfect day in Hawaii…

The recent very dry weather here in the islands, ended briefly, at least in some places, as somewhat more showery clouds arrived from the east. A trough of low pressure, loosely associated with former tropical cyclone Bud, is moving by to the north of the state now. A southern extension of that trough carried clouds into the state, with light showers falling here and there. The bulk of this small drop (misty) precipitation fell along the windward coasts and slopes…although there was at least one place along the Hana, Maui coast, that picked 1.50" of the wet stuff. It appears that conditions will dry out again now into the weekend. This batch of moisture has tropical origins, and in combination with the high heat of July, and the lighter than normal winds for this time of year…will have Hawaii's residents feeling rather muggy air for the next day or two.

The weekend looks fine, although towards the end of the weekend, perhaps into next Monday, we could see another upsurge in showers arriving locally. All of the precipitation I have been referring to will be on the light side. This won’t likely stop anyone from enjoying the out of doors, especially along the leeward beaches, where sunshine will have at least a toe hold, and probably more than that during the days. The possible minor surge in showers late Sunday into Monday, will arrive thanks to former hurricane Carlotta. Retired tropical storms Bud and Carlotta both had their start (and endings) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The remnant moisture from these old storms, minus their winds, will continue to bring off and on showers to our area, although minor influences at best.

Speaking of tropical systems, we have a category 3 hurricane, which is expected to reach category 4 briefly, spinning far ESE of the islands. This is of course major hurricane Daniel, which will likely be maxing-out in strength during the next 24 to 36 hours. Thereafter, it will start passing over cooler ocean water, and begin its dissipating phase. It will drop from a hurricane down into a tropical storm while still in the eastern Pacific. It may move into our central Pacific as a mild tropical storm next week, although may have already reduced in strength even further, into a tropical depression as it moves in the general direction of the Hawaiian Islands. It’s too early to know for sure what, if anything, it may bring to our islands…but my best guess at this time is an increase in showers late next week. I’ll add this tracking map for your convenience, and keep you updated on its progress westward.

Our friend Hans Rosendal, a recently retired National Weather Service Lead Forecaster in Honolulu, and one of the foremost hurricane experts in Hawaii, wrote the following piece of work on Hurricane Daniel: Hurricane Daniel is now a powerful category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds 115 to 125 kt. Daniel has become what we refer to as an annular hurricane. That is, it has at least momentarily taken on that appearance in the satellite pictures of the proverbial truck tire, with little in the way of vertical wind shear, or deep convection within the feeder bands to destroy that nearly perfect symmetry, and the very tight circular eye and pressure gradient. 

Daniel is likely near its maximum intensity late Thursday, though it may remain at this intense state for another 24 to 48 hours as long as it continues to drift slowly WNW in a weak steering flow environment near 15N latitude. This seems to be a very favorable latitude for intense tropical cyclones with deep warm water and good cross equatorial low level flow from the SW, feeding into the cyclone at low levels, while at upper levels, winds out of the north replaces this southern hemisphere air. As Daniel moves westward, another hurricane is forecast to develop behind Daniel in a day or two.

I’d like to highlight the next advertising link on the left hand margin of all the pages on this website. This time it’s Kanaha Kai Maui Surf Shop. Kanaha Kai Maui is equipped with the latest product offerings from Hot Sails Maui, Gaastra, Cabrinha, Tabou, Mistral, Starboard, Real Wind and Angulo. The store is stocked with softgoods by Rusty, Girl Star, Aaron Chang, Skechers, Lucy Love, West and Toes on the Nose to name a few.  "The Passion Lives Here!"   Our passion and commitment for watersports is expressed through living the dream. Our work is our play. Because of this, our superior customer service and people are here to help prepare you for your ultimate experience. Our people make the difference.

July 19-20 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

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

KAILUA KONA – 76
KALAELOA, OAHU – 67

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

0.01 KAPAHI, KAUAI
0.03 MAKUA RIDGE, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.53 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.18 KAMUELA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the NW and NE of our islands. Our local trade winds may pick up a bit today, and remain light or a little more than that through Friday. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

Io or Hawaiian Hawk…

The remnants of former tropical cyclone Bud, which is now just a trough of low pressure, will be moving by to the north of the Hawaiian Islands. It has lost whatever strong winds that it had previously, and is now just an area of low clouds…being carried more or less westward by the low level winds. The  most notable influence on our local weather conditions will be the lighter than normal trade wind speeds. This will occur as the trough of low pressure moves in between our trade wind generating high pressure systems to the north and NW, and the Aloha state. We’ll see several days of rather hot and muggy weather, with unusually light trade winds for this time of year. Satellite imagery shows that there is an area of showers running along behind the trough to our north, which may cause an increase in showers for a day or two…restricted for the most part to the windward sides, and around the mountains during the afternoon hours.

The latest computer models show another unusual weather feature moving in right after Bud moves by. This will be the rare approach of a summertime cold front. The cold front won't make it to the Aloha state, but stall some 500 or so miles NW of Kauai. Nonetheless, it's associated trough of low pressure will keep our trade winds lighter than usual through the rest of this week. The most likely place for whatever showers that fall will be along the windward sides, and over and around the mountains during the afternoon hours. The moving by of Bud isn’t all that unusual, although the approach of the cold front during July is very uncommon!

Far to the east, we see another retired tropical cyclone, or at least the leftover clouds associated with Carlotta. We aren’t worried about her, with only a chance that whatever left over showers she may still have, could bring a chance of windward showers to the state later this weekend. Even further to the SE, we find hurricane Daniel. It will weaken back into a tropical storm, or even all the way back down into a tropical depression, before getting into our central Pacific waters. It will however be the one that we’ll be keeping our eye on now, as it moves in our general direction. There's a chance we could see an increase in showers later next week, from whatever that's left of Daniel, as it gets perhaps close to our islands then.

It’s early Wednesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin today's sunset commentary. It was another great day here in the islands, with plenty of sunshine beaming down out of the heavens above. I went to the beach at lunch time and found hardly a breath of air moving, which is unusual. The ocean was smooth, with no white caps in sight, even far out towards Maalaea Bay. The ocean was delightfully warm, as was the sand and air. When I got out of the ocean, I happened to see this tiny squirming little fish, that got washed up on the sand. I gently put it back into the ocean, which somehow made me feel so good. When I left work, I could see very low clouds moving into the Central Valley, with the lightest, very small drop precipitation falling from the base of those light weight clouds. As I came up the Haleakala Highway around Pukalani, and over towards Makawao, there was the faintest mist falling, creating nice little rainbows. By the time I got up to Kula, I was well above the clouds, and now, just before sunset, it's clear as a bell. It will be interesting to track hurricane Daniel over in the eastern Pacific, as it more or less heads in our general direction. I'm not worried about it bringing inclement weather to our islands, as it is forecast to weaken considerably from the strength that it's exhibiting now. I will follow it like a Hawaiian Hawk, and keep you abreast of its progress. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I’d like to highlight the next advertising link on the left hand margin of all the pages on this website. This time it’s Kapalua Vacation Rental. Location, location, location….Most people have to drive to the beach, you only have to walk from here. Bay Villa 22B4 is the ultimate in ocean front living, it has the premier location in the Bay Villa complex. You cannot get any closer to the ocean. The pictures say it all, with 180 degrees of ocean view, it is as if you are standing on the bow of a ship. This is an upstairs unit, so you will not be disturbed from noise above.

July 18-19 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 85
Hilo, Hawaii – 86
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

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

Kaneohe, Oahu – 76
Hilo airport – 68

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

0.14 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.04 AHUIMANU LOOP, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.01 KAHAKULOA, MAUI
0.03 KAMUELA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the NW and NE of our islands. Meanwhile, the trough associated with former tropical cyclone Bud is located to the north of the islands…which will continue moving westward. The winds will remain lighter today and Thursday, as the trough blocks the full measure of the trade winds. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

Secret cove here in the islands

A tropical wave, or more simply, the remnants of former tropical cyclone Bud, will be moving by to the north of the Hawaiian Islands through Wednesday. Bud, at the height of his week long career, was a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It has long since lost its associated strong winds, and is now just an area of low clouds, being carried more or less westward by the low level winds. Whatever precipitation is still involved with Bud, will stay north of the islands. The one major influence on our local weather conditions will be a dropping off of our trade wind speeds. This will occur as the trough of low pressure with Bud moves in between our trade wind generating high pressure systems to the north, and the Aloha state. We’ll see several days of rather hot and muggy weather, with unusually light trade winds for this time of year.

The latest computer models show another unusual weather feature moving in right after Bud moves by. This will be the rare approach of a summertime cold front. The cold front will never make it to our shores, but stall some 500 or so miles NW of Kauai. Nonetheless, its associated trough of low pressure will keep our trade winds lighter than usual through at least the rest of this work week. As we move into the weekend time frame, we should start to see the return of light trade winds, providing some cooling and refreshing relief from the otherwise sultry atmospherics we’ll have until then. Despite the lighter winds, there won’t be many showers around. The most likely place for those few showers will be along the windward sides, and over and around the mountains during the afternoon hours. The moving by of Bud isn’t all that unusual, although the approach of the cold front during July is very uncommon!

Far to the east, we see another retired tropical cyclone, or at least the leftover clouds associated with Carlotta. We aren’t worried about her, with only a slim chance that whatever left over showers she may still have, could bring a chance of windward showers to the state early next week. Even further to the east, we find hurricane Daniel. It will likely weaken back into a tropical storm, or even all the way back down into a tropical depression, before getting into our central Pacific waters. It will however be the one that we’ll be keeping our eye on now. There’s yet another developing area of disturbed weather behind Daniel, which may become tropical depression 6E here over the next little while. Before anyone gets too nervous about all this, let me say this: there are no tropical spinning storms that pose any threat to our Hawaiian Islands at this time.

It’s early Tuesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin typing out this sunset commentary. The great heat that certain parts of the U.S. is experiencing now, sounds pretty rough. Here in the islands, what with the softer trade winds blowing, we're feeling quite hot and muggy too. The hottest place in the islands today, as it has been the last several days, was the Honolulu airport, which struck 88F degrees for the second or third straight day. The record high temperature for the date there was 91F degrees, that occurred a couple of times back in the 1980's. Our high temperatures here in Hawaii never gets all that hot, due to the surrounding ocean, which often provides at least some cooling breezes. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Hawaii was 100F degrees on the Big Island, many years ago. It's just a little before sunset here in Kula, with the outside air temperature 67.6F degrees just outside my weather tower. Just 22 minutes down the Haleakala Highway, at the Kahului airport at the same time, it was a warmer 79F degrees. I got to the beach today in Kihei during my lunch break. The ocean is getting so warm, reaching almost 79F degrees now, which makes for a very pleasant dip into Pacific! I hope you have a great Tuesday night, and that you will join me here again on Wednesday. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I’d like to highlight the next advertising link on the left hand margin of all the pages on this website. This time it’s Kapalua Vacation Rental. Location, location, location….Most people have to drive to the beach,
you only have to walk from here. Bay Villa 22B4 is the ultimate in ocean front
living, it has the premier location in the Bay Villa complex. You cannot get any
closer to the ocean. The pictures say it all, with 180 degrees of ocean view, it
is as if you are standing on the bow of a ship. This is an upstairs unit, so you
will not be disturbed from noise above.

July 17-18 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86

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

Honolulu, Oahu – 72
Hilo airport – 72

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:

0.25 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.07 NUUANU UPPER, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE

0.47 WEST WAILUAIKI , MAUI

0.28 KAMUELA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the NW and NE of our islands. Meanwhile, the trough associated with former tropical cyclone Bud is located to the NE of the Big Island…which will be moving westward. The winds will be getting lighter today and Wednesday, as the trough blocks the full force of the trade winds. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

The Hawaiian Islands will continue to see classic summer weather conditions today and Tuesday. The days will remain sunny to partly cloudy in most areas, with seasonably warm to locally hot daytime temperatures near the coasts. The trade winds  will continue blowing, although they are in the process of getting lighter now. There will be some shower activity around, although restricted for the most part to the windward sides of the islands. The leeward sides will be mostly dry, with mostly good weather for just about all outdoor activities.

There is one retired tropical cyclone (Bud) now in the central Pacific. A dissipating tropical cyclone called Carlotta, and a new tropical storm named Daniel, are both active in the eastern Pacific Monday. Former tropical depression Bud, is now just a low level swirl of clouds to the NE of the Big Island. The latest weather charts suggest that what's left of Bud will bring a change to our local weather conditions over the next couple of days. It looks like we will see lighter winds, and sultry tropical air moving into the state, as the old vortex moves by to our north…although whatever showers are associated with this old system will stay to the north of the state. The cooling and refreshing trade winds will clear out that muggy tropical air by this weekend.

It's early Monday morning here in Kula, Hawaii, as I start this last paragraph of today's narrative .  I had a great birthday weekend, full of just the right amount of activity, and then with enough time to rest and relax around the edges of all that fun too. If you had a chance to read the paragraph above, you'll know that we're moving into what looks like some very muggy weather conditions. I had orginally thought that we might have some showers arriving as former tropical cyclone Bud got close. Although it seems now that all we'll get is lighter winds, as Bud blocks the trade wind flow across Hawaii to some extent this week. The eastern Pacific remains active with storms, as the 5th tropical cyclone, which will be attaining hurricane status…is called Daniel. The bottom line is that we have nothing to worry about here in Hawaii, which is always a good to thing. On another note, when I got up this morning, I found the editor that I use to update my webpages on the blink. I'm not able to change the pictures, and the updating process has become more difficult than it was before, as I have to go into the html coding to make changes. So, just to let you know, there may be some irregularities over the next few days. I hope you have a great Monday! I'll be back with more weather updates later today. Aloha for now…Glenn.

July 15-16 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 82
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

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

Lihue, Kauai – 76
Hilo airport – 72

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

0.95 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.38 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.04 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.66 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.67 WAIAKEA UKA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1029 millibar high pressure system located far to the NW of our islands, located close to the International Dateline. The winds Sunday and Monday will be light to moderately strong, locally gusty during the afternoons. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

Fun waves along our leeward coasts now!
photo credit: flikr.com

The Hawaiian Islands will continue to see classic summer weather conditions this weekend. The days will remain sunny in most areas, with seasonably warm to locally hot daytime temperatures as a result. The trade winds have been rather blustery this week, although will start to get somewhat softer now. They won’t be going away completely by any means, although they will slip gradually back into the more normal light to moderately strong realms. There will be some shower activity around, although restricted for the most part to the windward sides of the islands. The leeward sides will be mostly dry, with great weather for just about all outdoor activities. This favorably inclined trade wind weather pattern will last into the new week ahead.

There are still two tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific Saturday, both of which are on the decline in strength. The first one, called Bud, has been downgraded to a tropical depression, while hurricane Carlotta will be dropping down into the tropical storm status soon. Neither of these storms are a threat to the Hawaiian Islands. The latest computer forecast models suggest that whatever is left of former Bud, if it remains intact enough, could bring a change to our local weather conditions around next Wednesday. It looks now like we might just see lighter winds, and sultry tropical air moving into the state briefly then. This prospect will have to be fine tuned as we go forward, although the one sure thing is that there won’t be any leftover strong winds from soon to be retired Bud. The cooling and refreshing trade winds will clear out that muggy tropical air after mid-week. Here’s a tracking map for you to see these quickly dissipating systems.

It’s late Saturday afternoon here in Kula, Hawaii, as I start writing this pre sunset commentary. I got off to a good start early this morning, by meeting a friend in Puamana, very near Lahaina town, for a two hour surfing session. The waves were good, the wind was near calm, and the ocean surface was glassy. These were good conditions, and we had a great time riding lots of waves. There were several ladies surfing around us, which made it even better! I've got a couple of friends that are driving up from Kihei, we're going to head up the mountain from here, for a round of skateboarding…which will be two evenings in a row for me. I'm lower back is a little tweaked, although I just can't seem to let that slow me down, don't want it to at least. I bbq'd some organic chicken thighs just now, so we'll have a couple of drinks when we get back and then grind that chicken, along with fresh garden salad, chips and fresh hot salsa. My birthday weekend is going great guns, and I'm really enjoying myself to da max! I hope you're having a good evening and night too. I'll be back Sunday morning with the next weather narrative then. Aloha for now…Glenn. 

July 14-15 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 82
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 82
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

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

Kaneohe, Oahu – 76
Molokai airport – 72

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

1.44 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.91 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.07 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.48 HANA AIRPORT, MAUI
0.19 PAHOA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1030 millibar high pressure system located far to the NW of our islands, moving away westward. The winds Saturday will be light to moderately strong, locally gusty during the afternoons through Sunday. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

Nice ending of the day in Hawaii
photo credit: Konaboy

It’s definitely summer here in the Hawaiian Islands now, not only on the calendar of course, but also just the overall feeling here in the tropics. The days have been very sunny in most areas, with seasonably warm to quite hot daytime temperatures as a result. The trade winds have been rather blustery this week, although will start to get somewhat softer now into the upcoming weekend. They won’t be going away completely by any means, although they will slip gradually back into the more normal light to moderately strong realms. Rainfall will be limited, with whatever few showers that are around, restricted for the most part to the windward sides of the islands. The leeward sides will be mostly dry as a bone, with great weather for just about all outdoor activities. This favorably inclined trade wind weather pattern will last into next week.

We see two tropical cyclones whirling the waters of the eastern Pacific now, both of which are on the decline in strength. Recent hurricane Bud has already been downgraded to a tropical storm, while hurricane Carlotta will be dropping down into that weaker status soon as well. Neither of these storms are a threat to the Hawaiian Islands, although as usual, I will be monitoring their activity closely. The latest computer forecast models suggest that whatever is left of dissipating Bud, if it remains on the current track, could bring a change to our local weather conditions around next Wednesday or Thursday. If the remnant moisture from Bud where to arrive in the Aloha state then, we would see lighter winds, sultry tropical air, and an increase in showers. This prospect will have to be fine tuned as we go forward, although the one sure thing is that there won’t be any leftover strong winds from then retired Bud. Here’s a tracking map for you to follow the action.

It’s early Friday morning here in Kula, Hawaii, as I start writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. As I was mentioning in my sunset commentary last evening, I was going back and forth about whether I would share the fact that today is my birthday. I finally decided (obviously) to let you in on the secret. I haven’t told my TV audience, or hardly anyone at work either. I could have taken the day off, but the truth is that I enjoy my work so much, as a meteorologist at the Pacific Disaster Center, that I figured why not just work on my birthday. I haven’t decided what to do afterwards, although I’m chomping on the bit to go skateboarding again, so I might ask a couple of friends to join me up the slopes of the Haleakala Crater, for a birthday skateboarding party.  Then again, it could go many other ways too. I may end up having some sort of birthday party Saturday night, although I’ve been so introspective lately, that I’m not too sure what I’ll end up doing? At any rate, enough about my birthday, lets get back to the weather here in the islands, which will be just great! I hope you have a wonderful day, I’ll be back later with more weather updates, and then back early Saturday morning with the next narrative then. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight Mark Jackson, Realtor, as the advertiser of the day. Mark says:  "I have lived on Maui since 1974 and have been in the Real Estate business here on the island since 1988. I specialize in the West Maui Resort areas of Lahaina, Kaanapali, Napili and Kapalua, although I am able to represent you in all areas of Maui as well as the State of Hawaii."

July 13-14 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 80
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

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

Honolulu, Oahu – 76
Hilo airport – 69

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

1.04 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.19 NUUANU UPPER, OAHU
0.04 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.26 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.38 KAMUELA UPPER, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1032 millibar high pressure system located far to the NW of our islands, moving away westward. The winds Friday will be getting lighter…continuing in that direction Saturday. The small craft advisory is active across a more limited part of the Hawaiian waters now. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

Sea turtle in the coral reef 
photo credit: flikr.com

The trade winds continue to be the primary weather element in our Hawaiian Island weather picture now. High pressure to the NNW remains in place, spinning-out locally strong and gusty trade winds, although not everywhere. The small craft wind advisory is still active across most of the Aloha state. The expectation is that the winds will be coming down in strength as we move into the upcoming weekend. They won’t be going away completely by any means, although should be back to more normal realms as we move into the Saturday and Sunday time frame. The windy weather of late has had a positive influence, as it’s been able to temper and moderate the hot afternoon temperatures near sea level.

It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start this sunset commentary. I would have written earlier, but the skies over most of Maui were so completely clear of clouds, including the entire Haleakala Crater (literally), that there was too much late in the day sunshine beaming into my weather tower to see the computer screen very well. It was one of those afternoons, one of those amazingly cloud free times, that I'm sure even the most uninterested weather observer would have took notice! It's just now sunset, as I was waiting for the sun to sink down below the very few shallow clouds overlying the West Maui Mountains. At the beach today, during my lunch break, the ocean was super clear, with the most outstanding bluish green colors. As I finished my swim in the warm ocean, I saw a sea turtle swimming by just offshore, thus the inspiration to show a turtle above. I've been going back and forth about letting you folks know that Friday the 14th of July is my birthday. I guess I just decided in the moment…I tell you everything else, so why not that I suppose! At any rate, life is good now, despite all the bad news we see happening around the world, at least in terms of the fighting going on in so many places. I despair at the seemingly casual loss of human life, it is a difficult reality to embrace. I hope you have a pleasant Thursday night, and that you will join me here again early on my birthday for the next in line weather narrative from paradise. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight Maui Car Rentals, as the advertiser of the day. Maui Car Rentals offers clean, reliable and low priced rental cars. They will pick you up curbside at the Maui Kahului airport. Please call them to rent a car today.

July 12-13 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 85
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86

Temperatures early Thursday 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 Thursday morning) on each of the major islands:

0.11 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.11 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.02 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.32 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.78 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1032 millibar high pressure system located far to the NNW of our islands. The winds Thursday will still be locally strong and gusty, then starting to mellow out some Friday. The small craft advisories remain active across all Hawaiian waters, and a high surf advisory for the east facing shores for the time being. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

Look closely, there's the Hana Highway down there…
photo credit: flikr.com

The stronger than normal trade winds are still buffeting some parts of the state of Hawaii. Not everywhere is exposed to these stiff breezes, although where those winds are blowing, the coconut palm trees are swaying to and fro…and the ocean is all white capped and choppy. High pressure located far to the NNW of the islands is the culprit for these breezy trade winds. Weather charts show a gradual softening of the winds starting Friday, ending up in the more normal moderately strong realms this weekend. The computer models suggest that these lighter trade winds will remain active into next week.

I should add that far to the east towards Mexico, there are two active tropical cyclones spinning. This is the third and fourth so far this hurricane season in the eastern Pacific. Here’s a graphical track map showing hurricane Bud and tropical storm Carlotta, as they head more or less westward. You will see the Hawaiian Islands in the picture, although the hurricane models show them dissipating well before getting near the Aloha state. I’d say that we have nothing to worry about when it comes to these tropical systems, although they certainly warrant watching closely…which I’ll be doing like a hawk! We may get some residual showers from Bud at some point, if the then retired system continues on its present track.

It’s early Wednesday morning here in Kula, Maui. It’s a little warmer this morning than it was on Tuesday at this same time, reading 54F degrees, rather than 52F degrees, as was the case at 515am yesterday. The skies are totally clear over the Haleakala Crater, with those same gray clouds, almost a permanent fixture, along the windward sides. As I was mentioning in my sunset commentary last evening, my Honda Prelude is at my mechanics now. My neighbors have been kind enough to loan me one of their cars for the day…and are going to drop me off to get my car when I get home from work this evening. I had the opportunity to hitchhike from Pukalani up to Kula last evening, which worked out perfectly. I think it’s good to get out on the side of the road (of life) and hitch a ride once in a while, just to reinforce the fact that the Universe takes care of us when we’re in a time of need! It’s going to be yet another day of very sunny weather, and more than likely I’ll be able to get to the beach for my regular beach walk and swim today. It’s very important to protect our skin while outside during these summer days by the way. I’ll be back later with more weather updates. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight Maui Car Rentals, as the advertiser of the day. Maui Car Rentals offers clean, reliable and low priced rental cars. They will pick you up curbside at the Maui Kahului airport. Please call them to rent a car today.

July 11-12 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 82
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

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

Kaneohe, Oahu – 77
Hilo airport – 70

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

1.24 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.08 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.09 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.77 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.69 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1031 millibar high pressure system located far to the NNW of our islands. The winds today through Thursday will be stronger than normal, with small craft advisories active across all Hawaiian waters, and a high surf advisory for the east facing shores. 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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

Aloha Paragraphs

The north shore of Kauai…
photo credit: flikr.com

 

The locally strong and gusty trade winds will continue to blow across the Aloha state for the time being. The wind advisory, that was active over some parts of the islands, has been dropped…although small craft wind advisory flags continue over all Hawaiian coastal and channel waters. The latest computer forecast models suggest that the winds will gradually be getting lighter through the rest of this work week…ending up in the normal light to moderately strong levels by the weekend. These brisk trade winds will be the dominate weather feature in Hawaii, causing choppy ocean conditions. These winds have been strong enough to generate high surf conditions along our east facing beaches, which will continue for the next several days.

There have been a few showers around, falling most generously along the windward sides of the islands as usual. The mountains on Kauai, and the windward side of the Big Island have had the most rainfall. Those passing showers, carried into the state by the trade winds, will continue. The leeward sides have been mostly dry, although a few light rain drops have been carried all the way over into some lee spots. The Kona coast of the Big Island, as often happens during the summer months, has had a few light late afternoon or evening showers falling too. There is little change indicated in this trade wind pattern, with generally fine weather continuing through the next week.

Far to the east, over towards Mexico, a new tropical cyclone has formed, called Bud. This is the third so far this hurricane season. Here’s a graphical track map showing what is now hurricane Bud, as it heads more or less westward. You will see the Hawaiian Islands in the picture, and to the casual observer, it might look like it was coming towards Hawaii. This may be true for the time being, although it will be weakening and dissipating as it moves over cooler ocean water, and comes under the influence of shearing winds aloft with time. I’d say that we have nothing to worry about when it comes to Bud, although it certainly warrants watching closely. Late in the day Tuesday, tropical cyclone 04E began a distance behind hurricane Bud.

It’s early Tuesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start this sunset commentary. It was another very sunny day, especially along the leeward beaches! I’ve been having some trouble keeping water in my radiator lately, so I took my car in to the mechanic in Pukalani after work. I decided rather than asking anyone for a ride home, that I would hitch hike. I walked to the spot, and the third or fourth car pulled over, a late model BMW. This fellow and I had a nice chat, and it turned out he lives about two driveways down from my place…so that turned out well. I’ll borrow my neighbors car tomorrow, and then pick up mine after work. I must admit that it’s a little humbling to be standing out on the side of the road, with your thumb out, and have people pass you by. At any rate it worked out great, as I’m sure it will again tomorrow. I hope you have a great Tuesday night, and that you will meet me here again on Wednesday, when I’ll have your next updated weather narrative from paradise waiting. Aloha for now…Glenn.

 

I want to highlight My Maui Condos, as the advertiser of the day. Their website says: "With over 14 years experience, 40 properties to choose from, we are a leader in privately owned Vacation Rentals on Maui, offering the finest selection of luxury, affordable Maui condo rentals and Maui vacation home rentals in Kihei, near Wailea, Lahaina, Kaanapali and Kula. The quality, value and variety of our Maui condos are unequaled, and we take great pride in making sure every aspect of your Maui vacation condo rental, from reservation to departure, is to your complete satisfaction."