Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / August 30-31, 2008

August 30-31 2008

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

Lihue, Kauai – 85
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 86
Kailua-kona – 85

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level, and on the taller mountains…at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon:

Barking Sands, Kauai – 86F  
Princeville, Kauai – 82

Haleakala Crater- 50 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 43 (near 14,000 feet on the Big Island)

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

0.41 Waihina, Kauai
0.83 Manoa Valley, Oahu
0.04 Molokai
0.08 Lanai
0.12 Kahoolawe
0.70 Puu Kukui, Maui
0.50 Piihona, Big Island

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing high pressure system located far to the north of Hawaii. This pressure configuration will keep our trade winds blowing generally in the moderately strong range…although stronger and gusty in those windiest locations.

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

Waimea Canyon on Kauai
Photo Credit: flickr.com

Steady, moderately strong trade winds will remain well established over the Hawaiian Islands. As this weather map shows, we have a large 1032 millibar high pressure system far northeast of our islands this weekend…the source of our local winds. The winds remain just below the small craft wind advisory levels in those windier coastal and channel waters. In general, light to moderately strong trade winds will prevail…with those typically windier places having higher gusts.

There will be showers at times along the windward sides, punctuated by less showery periods through this long holiday weekend. The rainfall pattern continues to be one with occasional passing showers…and then returning to drier conditions. There will be some enhancement to our windward biased showers at times, with an occasional heavy shower falling. This will be the result of cooler air aloft, associated with an upper trough of low pressure. The upcountry leeward sides will see occasional showers at times through the Labor Day holiday weekend as well. 

Dangerous hurricane (category 4) Gustav has shown explosive strengthening, as it heads into the Gulf of Mexico. As this track map from the National Hurricane Center in Miami shows…at the moment, it’s heading towards the Louisiana coast, just slightly to the west of the New Orleans metropolitan area. The northeast quadrant (upper right portion) of a forward moving hurricane is regarded as the most severe part of the storm. This most most damaging part of the storm remains a distinct threat to the New Orleans area. This very dangerous hurricane will cause an extremely windy event…along with extensive flooding the area. Evacuations have begun along those coasts now, and will continue in earnest over the several days, before making landfall at some point Monday. Here’s the latest satellite image of Gustav. Here is looping radar image of Gustav as it heads over Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico.

It’s early Saturday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s tropical weather narrative from Hawaii.  I woke up last night to the unusual sound of rain falling here in Kula, which was part of those off and on showers that we’re expecting over the next several days. The clouds gathered on the slopes of the Haleakala Crater early in the day Saturday, which lead to a brief period of showers. Radar has shown briefly heavy showers over near Keokea and Ulupalakua this afternoon, where 1.00" per hour rainfall rates have occurred. At the moment, its quite sunny over my area, although I can see quite a few clouds congregating on the horizon in most directions. I anticipate that these off and on showers will continue here and there, although most outdoor activities will remain available during the days…especially down towards the leeward beaches. I’ll be back early Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, and with more information on dangerous major hurricane Gustav, as it steams its way towards the Gulf coast. I hope you have a great Saturday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Interesting:

The Indonesian government is to double the size of a national park that is one of the last havens for endangered Sumatran elephants and tigers. Tesso NiloNational Park was created in 2004 with 38,000 hectares of forest. Today’s declaration will see that figure increase to 86,000 by the end of this year. "This is an important milestone toward securing a future for the Sumatran elephant and tiger," said Dr. Mubariq Ahmad, WWF-Indonesia’s Chief Executive. “To ensure the commitment is effectively implemented we must redouble our efforts to eliminate poaching and illegal settlements within this special forest.” With more than 4,000 plant species recorded so far, the forest of Tesso Nilo has the highest lowland forest plant biodiversity known to science, with many species yet to be discovered.  

WWF has been supporting the government effort to extend and protect the park as the last block of lowland forest in central Sumatra large enough to support a viable elephant population. About 60 to 80 elephants are estimated to live there, along with 50 tigers. Tesso Nilo forest is also an important watershed for more than 40,000 people living in the surrounding 22 villages.  “Tesso Nilo is still under serious threat from illegal activities, but if we can protect the forests there it will give some of Sumatra’s most endangered wildlife the breathing room they need to survive,” Dr Ahmad said. “And while we greatly appreciate this precedent for more protection from the Indonesian government, there are other areas on Sumatra that need safeguarding for the sake of its wildlife, its threatened indigenous peoples and to reduce the climate impacts of clearing.”

Interesting2:

A solution to the world’s worst case of ongoing mass poisoning, linked to rising cancer rates in Southern Asia, has been developed by researchers from Queen’s University Belfast. It is estimated that over 70 million people in Eastern India and Bangladesh, experience involuntary arsenic exposure from consuming water and rice; the main staple food in the region. This includes farmers who have to use contaminated groundwater from minor irrigation schemes. It is estimated that for every random sample of 100 people in the Bengal Delta, at least one person will be near death as a result of arsenic poisoning, while five in 100 will be experiencing other symptoms.

Now, researchers have created new low-cost technology to provide arsenic-free water to millions of people in South Asia currently exposed to high levels of the poison in groundwater. Leading an international team, Queen’s researchers have developed a trial plant in Kasimpore, near Calcutta, which offers chemical-free groundwater treatment technology to rural communities for all their drinking and farming needs. The technology is based on recharging a part of the groundwater, after aeration, into a subterranean aquifer (permeable rock) able to hold water. Increased levels of oxygen in the groundwater slow down the arsenic release from the soil. At higher dissolved oxygen levels, soil micro organisms, as well as iron and manganese, reduce the dissolved arsenic level significantly.

Interesting3:

New research strongly suggests that a mix of preventative agents, such as those found in concentrated black raspberries, may more effectively inhibit cancer development than single agents aimed at shutting down a particular gene. Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center examined the effect of freeze-dried black raspberries on genes altered by a chemical carcinogen in an animal model of esophageal cancer. The carcinogen affected the activity of some 2,200 genes in the animals’ esophagus in only one week, but 460 of those genes were restored to normal activity in animals that consumed freeze-dried black raspberry powder as part of their diet during the exposure. These findings, published in recent issue of the journal Cancer Research, also helped identify 53 genes that may play a fundamental role in early cancer development and may therefore be important targets for chemoprevention agents.

“We have clearly shown that berries, which contain a variety of anticancer compounds, have a genome-wide effect on the expression of genes involved in cancer development,” says principal investigator Gary D. Stoner, a professor of pathology, human nutrition and medicine who studies dietary agents for the prevention of esophageal cancer. “This suggests to us that a mixture of preventative agents, which berries provide, may more effectively prevent cancer than a single agent that targets only one or a few genes.” Stoner notes that black raspberries have vitamins, minerals, phenols and phytosterols, many of which individually are known to prevent cancer in animals.