Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennJuly 5-6 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86
Temperatures early Thursday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Honolulu airport – 77
Hilo airport – 71
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:
0.75 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.79 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.05 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.14 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.35 PIIHONUA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the WNW and NE of our islands. Low pressure systems traveling along in the middle latitudes will help to push the ridge between these two anticyclones a little further south than it has been, with slightly lighter winds the result today 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 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.
Photo credit: flikr.com
The trade winds will keep blowing across the latitudes of the Hawaiian Islands, ensuring pleasant weather. High pressure remains located far to the NE of the Aloha state, which is the source of our moderately strong breezes. These winds are strong enough around Maui and the Big Island that small craft advisory flags continue to fly in places there. The latest computer forecast models suggest that we could see a boost in the trade wind speeds this coming weekend, which might push the advisory across the rest of the state then. The nights will have the calmest winds, with winds picking up through the days, peaking in strength during the afternoon hours.
Rainfall has been a bit more active along the windward coasts and slopes, remaining completely dry in most leeward sections. The windward sides have been exceptionally dry the last several weeks, so that it has been with relief to see some modest increase in showers there recently. The windward side of the Big Island has had the most generous precipitation, with Glenwood picking up 2.00†during the last 24 hours as of early Wednesday morning. The latest models suggest we may see a few additional showers around the Big Island this weekend, as tropical moisture from a disturbance may move northward over that southernmost island then.
The tropical oceans are quiet for the most part, although a typhoon continues to rage in the western Pacific…taking aim on southern Japan. The central and eastern Pacific are free of any tropical cyclone activity. Looking further east, we find no spinning cloud forms in the Gulf of Mexico, or the Atlantic Ocean at this time. The high heat of summer will be warming the ocean surface now, so it’s just a matter of time before we start to see tropical storms and hurricanes forming again. We can certainly appreciate the lack of tropical activity though. By the way, that typhoon to the NE of the Philippines, called Ewiniar, has winds near 130 mph, with gusts to near 160 mph!
It’s early Wednesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin today’s sunset commentary. Today was one of those days when it felt too hot, at least while down near the beach during my lunch break. I thought I’d get out on the beach and take a walk, and my customary swim. The problem was that there were no clouds for shade, and I just couldn’t force myself to get out there at mid-day and subject my already sun damaged skin to more of a good thing! My car thermometer was registering 92F degrees at around 1pm. I got my food and went back to my air conditioned office to eat. Interestingly enough I surfed the web right away for what the temperatures were along the far NW coast of California, around Eureka and Arcata. Those 55F degree temperatures that I found looked so appealing for some reason. Up here in Kula, the high temperature was a relatively warm 77F degrees…manageably warm. It’s now just before sunset, with 67.8F degrees just outside my weather tower at 645pm. It’s partly cloudy, and the cool air feels wonderful. I hope you have a great Wednesday night, and that you will join me here again on Thursday. Aloha for now…Glenn.
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