June 20-21 2008


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

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

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon:

Barking Sands, Kauai – 84F  
Hilo, Hawaii – 78

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

0.35  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.75 South Fork Kaukonahua, Oahu
0.03 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.32 Kahoolawe
1.25 Puu Kukui, Maui
0.27 Mountain View, Big Island

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1029 millibar high pressure system to the north-northwest of the islands Friday. This high pressure cell, with its associated ridging, will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing, with those usual stronger gusts in the major channels…and those windiest coastal areas.  

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. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image. 

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 weather conditions.

Aloha Paragraphs

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1031/709306463_51e43ff530.jpg?v=0
  Incredibly colorful plumeria flowers…they smell good too!
Photo Credit: Flickr.com

High pressure stretched out to the north of Hawaii, with low pressure to our south…is the reason we’re finding steady trade winds blowing. These trade winds will be moderately strong and gusty through the rest of the week. Small craft wind advisories flags are still flapping in the breeze in those windiest locations in the southern part of the state. There doesn’t appear to be any end in sight for this extended period of trades, which is normal for this time of year. The leeward beaches will see somewhat less wind in general, although even there…it will become breezy, to locally windy during the afternoon hours.

Satellite imagery shows clouds, some of which are showery in nature, being carried our way in the trade wind flow. The vast majority of these passing showers will fall along the windward sides. As is often the case, the leeward Kona area could see a few showers as well. Looking into the area upstream, in terms of the trade winds, shows not a very impressive amount of showery clouds…unfortunately. The last 24 hours was quite productive in terms of showers along the windward sides, which was very helpful in pushing back the dry condition of late.

~~~ It’s early Friday evening, here in Kihei, Maui, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. Today was yet another windy day here on the south coast of Maui. The ocean surface, during my lunch break, was completely frothed-up with choppy white caps! Looking at the wind reports at 5pm, showed the windiest place in the entire state was once again Maalaea Bay…where winds were gusting to 40 mph! I’m about ready to jump in my car for the drive to Kahului. I’m going to see the new film The Incredible Hulk (2008)…starring Ed Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, and Christina Cabot. This is the explosive, action-packed adventure in one of the all-time most popular superhero sagas unfolds with a cure in reach for the world’s most primal force of fury: THE INCREDIBLE HULK. We find scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) living in shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote. But the warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won’t leave him alone, nor will his need to be with the only woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). Upon returning to civilization, our brilliant doctor is ruthlessly pursued by The Abomination (Tim Roth)–a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk’s own. A fight of comic-book proportions ensues as Banner must call upon the hero within to rescue New York City from total destruction. I’m very much looking forward to seeing this now famous film, and will let you know what I thought early Saturday morning. Although if you can’t wait for that review, you can get a sneak preview by clicking here to see the trailer. I hope you have a great Friday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

An oldie but goodie…Baby Come Back by the Players.

Interesting:











The world’s population will reach 7 billion in 2012, even as the global community struggles to satisfy its appetite for natural resources, according to a new government projection. There are 6.7 billion people in the world today. The United States ranks third, with 304 million, behind China and India, according to projections released Thursday by the Census Bureau. The world’s population surpassed 6 billion in 1999, meaning it will take only 13 years to add a billion people. By comparison, the number of people didn’t reach 1 billion until 1800, said Carl Haub, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau. It didn’t reach 2 billion until 130 years later.

"You can easily see the effect of rapid population growth in developing countries," Haub said. Haub said that medical and nutritional advances in developing countries led to a population explosion following World War II. Cultural changes are slowly catching up, with more women in developing countries going to school and joining the work force. That is slowing the growth rate, though it is still high in many countries. The global population is growing by about 1.2 percent per year. The Census Bureau projects the growth rate will decline to 0.5 percent by 2050.

Interesting2:



A space mission that will be critical to our understanding of climate change has launched from California. The Jason-2 satellite will become the primary means of measuring the shape of the world’s oceans, taking readings with an accuracy of better than 4cm. Its data will track not only sea level rise but reveal how the great mass of waters are moving around the globe. This information will be fundamental in helping weather and climate agencies make better forecasts. The satellite left Earth at 0746 GMT atop a Delta-2 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base. The spacecraft, built by Thales Alenia Space, represents the joint efforts of the US and French space agencies (Nasa and CNES), and the US and European organisations dedicated to studying weather and climate from orbit (Noaa and Eumetsat).

Jason-2 will provide a topographic map of 95% of the Earth’s ice-free oceans every 10 days. Although we think of our seas as being flat, they are actually marked by "hills" and "valleys", where the highs and lows may be as much as two metres apart. Elevation is a key parameter for oceanographers. Just as surface air pressure reveals what the atmosphere is doing above, so ocean height will betray details about the behaviour of water down below. The data gives clues to temperature and salinity. When combined with gravity information, it will also indicate current direction and speed. The oceans store vast amounts of heat from the Sun; and how they move that energy around the globe and interact with the atmosphere are what drive our climate system.

Interesting3: China raised prices for fuel by as much as 18 percent on Friday in a move that could cool the nation’s surging energy consumption. International oil prices dropped sharply Thursday after China said it will raise fuel prices, with light, sweet crude for July delivery falling $4.75 to settle at $131.93 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In Asian trading, oil was up slightly at $132.01 a barrel. Growing Chinese demand for oil has underpinned the multiyear rally in oil prices, but higher prices could help crimp that demand. Concerns about spiking Chinese demand for diesel due to cleanup operations in the aftermath of last month’s earthquake contributed to oil’s recent run-up. Lower demand in China "would be a major factor in driving prices down," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago.

The China Daily newspaper reported Friday that the increase was "because of the soaring price of crude in the international market." It said areas in Sichuan province, hit by a massive earthquake last month, were exempt from the increase. The price increase was announced issued late Thursday after China‘s financial markets were disclosed by the National Development and Reform Commission, the government’s main economic planning agency announced. Prices of gasoline and diesel rose by 1,000 yuan ($145) per ton to 6,980 yuan ($1,015) and 6,520 yuan ($949), respectively.  Aviation kerosene rose by 1,500 yuan ($218) per ton to 7,450 yuan ($1,084), the commission said on its Web site.