Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragraphs / July 16-17, 2011

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

Lihue, Kauai –                    86                  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –      87
Kaneohe, Oahu –                81
Molokai airport –                 84
Kahului airport, Maui –           88   (record for Saturday – 93 in 1950, 1968)  
Kona airport                       85  
Hilo airport, Hawaii –           83

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 5pm Saturday evening:

Barking Sands, Kauai  – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 77

Haleakala Crater –     55 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 45 (over 13,500 feet on the Big Island)

Here are the 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Saturday evening:  

0.88     Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.47     Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.12     Molokai
0.00     Lanai
0.00     Kahoolawe
0.45     West Wailuaiki, Maui
1.16     Kawainui Stream, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1034 millibar high pressure system to the north of our islands. Our local trade winds will remain active through Monday.

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. 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 13,500 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 shining down during the night at times. Plus, during the nights you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise and sunset 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. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here.  Here's a tropical cyclone tracking map for the eastern and central Pacific.

 Aloha Paragraphs

Trade winds, off and on passing windward
showers…generally very nice weather
 

The trade winds will prevail Sunday…continuing on into the new week ahead. Glancing at this weather map, we find a moderately strong 1034 millibar high pressure system located to the north of the islands Saturday night. This robust high pressure cell dominates the Pacific, from the International Dateline to our west, across the eastern Pacific to the Baja California coast of Mexico. There’s still no end in sight to this typical summertime trade wind flow. We have limited small craft wind advisories covering those windiest channels and coasts around Maui County and the Big Island…through Sunday at least.

Our trade winds will remain active…the following numbers represent the strongest gusts (mph), along with directions Saturday evening: 

21                 Lihue, Kauai – NE  
22                 Kahuku, Oahu – NE 
18                 Molokai – NE
20                 Kahoolawe – E
22                 Lipoa, Maui – ESE
12                 Lanai – NE
28                    Upolu Point, Big Island – NE 

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean Saturday night.  Looking at this NOAA satellite picture we find clouds scattered around the area, generally upstream of the islands, over the offshore waters. We can use this looping satellite image to see thunderstorms far to our south, with high cirrus clouds out to the west…over the ocean to our northwest. Checking out this looping radar image we see a few minor showers being carried along in the trade wind flow, most notably over the ocean…generally light at the time of this writing.

Sunset Commentary:  We'll find typical trade wind weather conditions prevailing well into the future. This means that the trade winds will be blowing, and that showers will be carried our way at times. The trade winds won't be too strong, nor will they be too light…but just about right. The showers that arrive along our windward sides won't amount to all that much, although will provide the lush tropical vegetation some watering. The leeward sides will be generally dry and sunny, making for good beaching weather. Speaking of those south and west facing shores, there will be an active southwest swell, causing breaking waves. There isn't a high surf advisory, although it would be wise to pay attention to those waves, especially if they are larger than you are used to.

Friday evening I went out to dinner in Wailea, meeting a couple of friends who live in Kihei. This occasion took place at Longhi's restaurant, which included a five course meal, with organic wine being poured in between courses. I don't go out to dinner all that often…although its interesting that I was out to Mama's Fish House just last Saturday night. I enjoyed myself quite a bit, socializing up a storm for a change. It was interesting how many people came up to me and thanked me for doing this website, and for having done my TV weather show in the past. I enjoyed talking to the folks at our table, which included my friends, and then four other people who were just randomly seated together. I got home quite late, although didn't drink so much wine that I feel badly this morning. I knew I had a long drive home, so I took it easy.

Here in Kula, Maui this evening at 515m HST, skies are mostly clear, although with some clouds were hanging out over the mountains…with the air temperature a warm 77.2F degrees. I was a great day here on Maui, with lots of very warm sunshine, and the usual trade wind breezes blowing. I started off the day with a lovely long walk over in Keokea, with areas of low clouds giving way to clear blue skies. I came back here and hung out with my neighbors some, had breakfast and coffee, before heading down to Paia to shop. I had planned to spend the day in Haiku, although changed my mind, and just came home to relax. I might end up going down to see a film in a little while, and if so, will come back afterwards, or Sunday morning to let you know about it. I hope you have a great Saturday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Interesting:  The loss of large predators and large herbivores may be "humankind's most pervasive influence on nature," according to a paper published in journal Science.  When top predators and large herbivores are weakened, the animals and plants they eat usually thrive because they're no longer actively killed.  Their overpopulation, and the ripple effect throughout the ecosystem, is throwing ecosystems out of balance.

The impacts of this phenomenon on the planet include changes in soil, water, vegetation, and the atmosphere. The phenomenon also increases human contact with invasive and disease-carrying species.

The study provided the following examples:

-As large ungulates recovered from a devastating rinderpest epidemic in the Serengeti in Africa, herbivory increased, and the frequency of wildfire declined in that region. Wildfire frequency increased following the late Pleistocene/early Holocene decline of megaherbivores in Australia and the northeastern United States.

-Industrial whaling in the 20th century resulted in the loss of large numbers of plankton-consuming great whales, which are now known to sequester carbon into the deep sea through deposition of feces. The result has been the transfer of approximately 105 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere that would have been absorbed by whales, contributing to climate change.

The study said previous research of ecosystems focused on species on the bottom of the food chain partly because it was easier to do so. Contrastingly, apex consumers are usually "large, long-lived, and not amenable to laboratory experiments."

"There is an urgent need for interdisciplinary research to forecast how a continued loss of top level consumers will further harm the planet's ecosystems," said Dr. James A. Estes of University of California at Santa Cruz, the lead author of the paper.