Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennDecember 4-5 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Tuesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 82
Honolulu, Oahu – 80
Kaneohe, Oahu – 81
Kahului, Maui – 81
Hilo, Hawaii – 86
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning:
Kahului, Maui – 76F
Lihue, Kauai – 71
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Wednesday morning:
4.59 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.56 POAMOHO, OAHU
1.87 MOLOKAI
0.92 LANAI
0.25 KAHOOLAWE
3.34 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
3.25 PALI 2, BIG ISLAND
Satellite and Radar 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.
Weather Chart – A kona low pressure system has moved into the area NNW of Hawaii, accompanied by its cold front, moving down through the state Wednesday. The winds will be very strong and gusty…easing back Thursday. Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. 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.
Windy and wet across the Hawaiian Islands
photo credit: flickr.com
1.) Very strong and gusty winds from the southwest: The winds will be coming in off the open ocean, with little in the way of friction to slow them down. The pressure gradient across the islands will be steep, which simply means that the winds will be stronger than normal. The NWS forecast office in Honolulu has issued a high wind warning, which means that we can expect sustained winds of up to 40 mph, with gusts reaching 60 mph or more. Winds of this nature can be damaging, and everyone should be securing loose objects on their property, especially if they live in one of those areas that finds especially strong wind gusts during such a Kona wind episode. The winds will likely start to diminish a bit starting around Friday, although remain on the gusty side into the early part of the weekend. The trade winds will return by Sunday or early next week.
2.) Heavy rains will cause localized flooding: The overlying atmosphere Tuesday evening remains moisture laden from the recent heavy rains over the last several days. As the low pressure system gets into closer range now, along with its cold front, which has moved ashore on Kauai, we’ll begin to see increasing showers. We’re moving into a prolonged period of off and on showers, much of it will likely be in the form of rain. This rain will be falling on soil that is already saturated, which strongly suggests that there will be lots of runoff. This runoff is what causes flooding, and I would say that flooding is likely under these circumstances. Everyone here in the islands should be very aware that there will be poor visibilities in heavy rain at times, and that driving on flooded roads is very dangerous. The chance of flash flooding exists, especially if thunderstorms break out here and there. A flood watch is now in effect across all of the state of Hawaii through Thursday afternoon.
3.) Rough ocean conditions: All of the strong winds coming into the state, will be blowing on the ocean surface, which in turn will generate increasingly large surf. The south and west facing beaches, not accustom to large surf during the month of December, will see rising surf over the next several days. This surf will be rough and potentially dangerous, with strong currents and even undertows. This gnarly mix of breaking waves will remain quite potent, once it starts, through most of the work week. As the winds start to calm down some by the weekend, the surf will finally back off as well. Meanwhile, the north shores will continue to see larger than normal surf breaking as well, caused by storms further off into the ocean in the mid-latitudes of the Pacific. A new NNW swell will arrive late Wednesday or by early Thursday morning, making for extremely rough conditions along our north facing beaches.
It’s Tuesday evening here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. Tuesday turned out to be quite a nice day in many parts of the state, albeit very much on the windy side! The Big Island saw some locally heavy showers arrive, which triggered a flood advisory for a time, but was then later cancelled. The cold front itself, at around 530pm was just arriving on Kauai’s doorstep. Heavy rains will start falling over the Garden Isle shortly, then move on to Oahu during the night…arriving over the islands of Maui County by Wednesday morning. This is going to be serious rainfall, the kind that can lead to flooding very quickly. Please use this looping satellite image so you can witness the frontal cloud moving down through the islands overnight into Wednesday. Here’s a looping radar image, so you can keep abreast of where the heaviest rains are falling too. ~~~ I will keep a close eye on this situation, and if it gets really wild, I will come back online during the night with more information. The bottom line here is be very careful when you leave the house! I hope you have a great Tuesday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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