Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs

August 14-15 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 89
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 91
Hilo, Hawaii – 85
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

HONOLULU, OAHU – 78
MOLOKAI AIRPORT – 73

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:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the north of our islands. This pressure configuration will cause light to moderate trade winds to blow across our area today, becoming moderately strong on Wednesday.  Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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.

  Makena’s Big Beach
Photo Credit: flikr.com
 

Weather across the Hawaiian Islands was fine, although more showery than usual along the windward side of the Big Island Monday. An area of moisture, spotted on satellite imagery to the SE of the state Monday morning, in association with a trough of low pressure moving by near the islands, brought an increase in showers to that island. As the trough moves away by Tuesday, our weather will return to just the normal passing shower activity along the windward slopes, with sunny to partly cloudy weather prevailing along the leeward beaches through the rest of the work week.

This trough’s presence kept our local trade winds lighter than usual today. High pressure remains anchored far to the north of the Aloha state. This in turn will keep moderately strong winds blowing across our area of the north central Pacific starting soon. Wind speeds will be in the 10-25 mph range in general, laying down some during the night and early morning hours, and then kicking up their heels in the later morning through late afternoon hours. The best beach weather will occur during the mornings along the south and west leeward beach areas.

It’s early Monday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin this sunset commentary.  The shower area that brought the Big Island some localized rain, fell apart before reaching Maui or the rest of that state today. This left a great day of weather, with lots of sunshine, and very warm temperatures to the coastal zones. I made it to the beach at lunch, and found lighter winds than I’ve seen in many weeks. It made for a very pleasant beach experience, although made for rather muggy conditions just a bit further inland. The ocean has reached 80F degrees now in most leeward areas, which makes it so inviting to dive in! There’s low hanging gray clouds here on the slopes of the Haleakala Crater now. It reminds me of how much I like it when those clouds slip just a little further down, which then envelopes Kula in a blanket of fog. I love leaving work in Kihei, with temperature in the middle to high 80F’s…arriving home 35 or so minutes later, to a moist cloud layer with temperatures in the middle 60F’s. On another note, I’ve been trying to remember to let you regular readers know that my Dad’s health has improved enough, that he is back on the golf course again! I hope you have a good Monday night, and that you will consider dropping by my website again on Tuesday, for the next word on what all’s going on here in the Aloha state then. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time its Surf Taxi Maui.  "Whether you’re a tourist, a local, or a business executive, Surf Taxi Maui is the minivan taxi and tour guide service for you. We provide luxury transportation to and from restaurants, hotels, airports, churches, stores, and hospitals. We also offer personal tours of the entire island of Maui while you sit back and enjoy chilled bottle water. Your driver is also an ordained minister (serves as a pastor at MCCC – the local correctional center) and can perform beautiful and legal weddings for you – anywhere on Maui."