Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday afternoon:
Lihue airport, Kauai – 77
Honolulu airport, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Molokai airport – 75
Kahului airport, Maui – 84
Kona airport – 81
Hilo airport, Hawaii – 80
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 5pm Wednesday evening:
Port Allen, Kauai – 81F
Molokai airport – 72
Haleakala Crater – missing (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 28 (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 Wednesday afternoon:
0.01 Hanalei River, Kauai
0.03 Hawaii Kai, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.01 West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.23 Puu Waawaa, Big Island
Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1033 millibar high pressure system far to our northeast, with a high pressure ridge extending southwest to the north and northwest near Kauai. Our winds will come in from the east-southeast to southeast direction Thursday…to south to southeast Friday.
Satellite and Radar Images: To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with this Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around 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. Finally, here's a Looping IR satellite image, making viewable the clouds around the islands 24 hours a day. 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 web cam 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 web cams 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.
Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest weather information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here. Of course, as we know, our hurricane season won't end until November 31st here in the central Pacific.
Aloha Paragraphs
Generally fair weather through Friday…rain later this weekend
East-southeast to southeast winds will prevail…gradually shifting to the south and southwest into the weekend. This weather map shows a moderately strong 1033 millibar high pressure system far to our northeast, with its associated ridge of high pressure extending southwest, just to the north and northwest of Kauai. As our local winds turn more to the southeast and south, we'll begin to see volcanic haze being carried over the smaller islands…from the Big Island vents. A rather vigorous cold front will impact the Hawaiian Islands later this weekend, with our winds veering around to the south and southwest ahead of it on Saturday into Sunday. As the cold front reaches the Big Island Sunday night into Monday, our winds will shift to the north in the wake of the frontal passage, turning to the northeast into Tuesday…and be a little cooler then too. Yet another cold front will approach the islands around the middle of next week, with southeast to south winds returning…with potentially more volcanic haze again then.
Winds will remain generally light, although locally stronger tonight into Thursday…the following numbers represent the strongest gusts, along with directions Wednesday evening:
07 mph Barking Sands, Kauai – SSW
20 Kahuku, Oahu – ENE
10 Molokai – SE
30 Kahoolawe – ESE
10 Kahului, Maui – NE
10 Lanai Airport – S
28 South Point, Big Island – NNE
Generally fair weather will continue through the next couple of days. This large University of Washington satellite image shows what’s left of the old cold front now well to the east of the Big Island…with another cloud band to our north and northwest. Looking at this NOAA satellite picture, it shows that skies are generally clear over the islands Wednesday afternoon, although with interior clouds having formed locally. Clouds will be most common along our southeast sides, and over the leeward slopes of the mountains during the afternoon hours for the time being.
A few showers may visit the Big Island, with a couple possible light showers along the leeward slopes during the afternoon hours elsewhere at times too. We can use this looping satellite image to see the departing clouds to our east, and a few streaks of high cirrus clouds approaching from the north. Checking out this looping radar image it shows just a few light showers embedded in the wind flow, approaching the windward sides of the Big Island…with few showers elsewhere. There shouldn't be many showers around, with quite a bit of warm sunshine prevailing during the days through most of Friday…especially during the morning hours.
The big news in terms of weather here in Hawaii will occur this weekend, when the next high surf event arrives…and the above mentioned cold front brings locally heavy rainfall. Our weather will remain rather placid through most of the rest of this work week. We’ll likely see some vog arriving at some point over the next few days. Days will be warm to very warm for this time of year, with cool early morning temperatures…even at sea level. As we push into the second part of the upcoming weekend, our next cold front will arrive, with locally gusty south to southwest Kona winds blowing ahead of the frontal cloud band. We may begin to see some increased showers later Friday or Saturday, although the bulk of the rainfall will arrive late Saturday into Sunday and Monday. This precipitation will be rather plentiful, bringing another round of wet weather our way. As the front gets down towards the Big Island, or a bit further, we'll see slightly cooler north to northeast winds blowing, which will keep the windward sides off and on showery into the first couple of days of next week. The next cold front is scheduled to arrive around next Wednesday or so, although it’s too early to know who much precipitation it will bring at this point.
Here in Kihei, Maui, at 535pm Wednesday evening its clear…with clouds still stacked up over and around the Haleakala Crater. Those clouds will very likely evaporate soon, making way for another mostly clear night just about everywhere in Hawaii. The light winds and clear skies will allow air temperatures to dip into early Thursday morning…with temperatures generally in the 60F's near the coast, with even a few upper 50's locally at sea level. There isn't any volcanic haze that I can see yet, although I still expect it to arrive at some point relatively soon. I'm about ready to take the drive back upcountry to Kula, where it will likely be near 10 degrees cooler than down here near the ocean. I'll catch up with you early Thursday morning, when I'll have your next new weather narrative ready for the reading. I hope you have a great Wednesday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.
Extra: As I often do at the beginning of each month, I let you know how busy this website was during the previous month. January had 556,641 page views, which is clearly above 1/2 a million, which I see as fabulous! I know it's not many when compared with google or some other big time site…although quite a few when I consider that I'm keeping this site going by myself. Meanwhile, there were 11,084 google clicks, which impresses me also. I want to once again take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you, its you who keeps me updating Hawaii Weather Today each day, absolutely!
Interesting: Almost 80 per cent of Brazilians think global warming is caused by human activities, a survey has found, compared with less than half of Americans and around 70 per cent of Britons according to similar recent surveys. Around 90 per cent of Brazilians believe that global warming is happening and think it is a serious issue, putting them on a par with Europeans and well ahead of Americans.
The results challenge the belief that in the developing world there is a lack of knowledge of the importance of climate change, said Yurij Castelfranchi, an expert on public perception of science based at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. "The results show that climate change is on the agenda not only for the government but also for civil society," he told SciDev.Net.
More than 2,000 Brazilians were interviewed for the survey, which was conducted by the National Confederation of Industries (CNI) and published last month.
Interesting2: First light is revealing the trail of destruction left by Cyclone Yasi, with the north Queensland towns of Innisfail, Tully, Mission Beach and Cardwell bearing the brunt of the monster storm during a terrifying night.
The cyclone is now heading inland towards Georgetown and Charters Towers and has been downgraded to a category two storm, but many residents are still trapped in their homes as Yasi continues on its path of destruction. Higher-than-normal tides and large waves will continue between Port Douglas and Ayr and sea levels may again exceed the high-water mark on this morning's high tide, due around 9:30am AEST.
Premier Anna Bligh says there have been no reports so far of deaths or serious injuries, but cautioned it was too early to draw any conclusions. "While the early news is certainly not anything like I expected to hear this morning from a category five cyclone, I do stress in many places we've yet to see any assessment," she said this morning. "But I do stress it's far too early to start talking about dodging bullets."
She said there were no reports of any structural damage to any evacuation centres in the cyclone's path. Yasi crossed the coast at Mission Beach as a category five system around midnight AEST, bringing destructive wind gusts of up to 285 kilometers per hour. Major General Peter Cosgrove, who led the recovery effort after Cyclone Larry, says the first priority this morning is to "count heads". "It's particularly important in rural communities where you have farmers that are isolated.
Emergency workers have to make sure people are safe," he said. 'Horrific' The cyclone's fury has been felt hundreds of kilometers away – in Cairns to the north and Townsville to the south – and all locations in between. Sonya from Tully described the mad scramble to get herself to safety as the storm hit. "During the eye of the cyclone we were able to get downstairs," she told ABC Local Radio.
"We were tying things down because two of the rooms… you could hear all the windows smashing. "It was just horrific." Townsville resident Graham also described his experience as "horrific", warning his fellow townspeople to remain indoors. "We went through Cyclone Althea (1971) and we thought that was bad but this has been something on top of that," he said. "I wouldn't tell anybody to go outside yet. Definitely not. And the thing is, we're getting winds from a different direction now to what we got last night."
Cassowary councillor Bill Horsford took refuge on his farm near Innisfail and says daylight has revealed a devastated landscape. "It's just like the place has been sprayed with napalm, there's hardly a green leaf around, all of the beautiful mountains are now brown," he said. "The cane crops are going to be devastated, it's just going to be devastation all round and all I can hope for is that there has been no loss of life or serious injury."
"I can't describe the wind, the ferocity of it, the driving rain it was just incredible," he added. A resident from Malanda on the Atherton Tablelands says the destructive winds ripped the bolts out of the concrete securing his shed. "I'd hate to be down there in Tully at the moment. I've been through [Cyclone] Larry – this is major – I've never seen anything like it," he said. Power out Power is out across a large area stretching from parts of the Whitsundays through to Townsville and north to Cairns, making conditions stifling.
Authorities are unsure of when they will be able to assess the damage with conditions still too dangerous to venture outdoors. Even police in Townsville have only been able to respond to a handful of the hundreds of calls for help. Councilor Alan Blake, the deputy chair of the local disaster management group, says it appears Cairns has survived with very little damage.
"I'm very surprised this morning after the gale force winds that came through last night, Cairns has survived, and survived very, very well," he said. "Going down our main highway into the city, [there are just] a few branches and trees across the highway."
Interesting3: Officials have widened a no-go area ringing Japan's Mount Kirishima volcano as the pace of an ongoing eruption cycle quickened on Tuesday. Tuesday's blast was reportedly the fourth since Jan. 26. Officials in Takahara have asked residents of about 500 households to evacuate due to the threat of landslides and flying rocks blasted out of the Shinmoedake crater. The affected area was within a 2.5-mile radius of the active crater.
On Monday, 610 people had already been evacuated. Local authorities said that airborne rocks, blasted aloft by the volcano, had carved impact craters as much as 8 deep within 1.8 miles of the Shinmoedake. Windows were also reportedly shattered in nearby houses and schools.
The local meteorological observatory stated, citing satellite images that a lava dome in the Shinmoedake crater had widened markedly between Thursday and Saturday. Active lava domes can pose a serious threat of catastrophic explosion and collapse. The Kirishima volcanic complex is located on the southwestern mainland island of Kyushu, north of Kagoshima city.
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