Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragraphs / June 15-16, 2012

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

Lihue, Kauai –                      82   
Honolulu airport, Oahu –       85
Kaneohe, Oahu –                  82
Molokai airport –                  84
Kahului airport, Maui –     87 (Record high for Friday / 94 – 1952)  
Kona airport –                     84
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 Friday evening:


Kahului, Maui – 84
Molokai airport – 79

Haleakala Crater –  M (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea –         39 (near 13,800 feet on the Big Island)

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live web cam on the summit of near 13,800 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. This web cam is 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. Here's the Haleakala Crater webcam on Maui…although this webcam is not always working correctly.

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 (once the season begins June 1) 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

 
   Strengthening trade winds this weekend…
with some passing windward showers,
slight chance of a localized heavier downpour –
high and middle clouds at times through Saturday

As this weather map shows, we have a large near 1030 millibar high pressure system far to the northeast of the islands.  At the same time, a ridge of high pressure extending southwest of this high pressure cell is located just to the north and northwest of Kauai. Our local winds will gradually strengthen through Saturday and Sunday from the trade wind direction. 

The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Friday evening:

15            Waimea Heights, Kauai – WSW  
25            Kahuku trng area, Oahu – SE
22            Molokai – E 
33            Kahoolawe – SE
21            Lipoa, Maui – NE
25            Lanai – NE
27            Kealakomo, Big Island – NE

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean.  Here's the latest NOAA satellite picture – the latest looping satellite image…and finally the latest looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands.

Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Friday evening:
 
0.03               Kokee, Kauai
0.39               Waianae Valley, Oahu
0.00               Molokai
0.00               Lanai
0.00               Kahoolawe
0.01               Puu Kukui, Maui
0.19               Kawainui Stream, Big Island  

Sunset Commentary:  Our local winds will be gradually strengthen into the weekend. We'll find passing showers falling along the windward sides at times, most notably later Saturday into Sunday.  Small craft wind advisories will be issued, first around those windiest parts of Maui County and the Big Island…stretching to the major channels across the state with time. Winds across the higher elevations of Maui and the Big Island will become considerably stronger this coming weekend into early next week. A wind advisory will go into force over those summit areas beginning by 6pm Saturday evening…or even a high wind watch might be needed by Sunday evening into Monday. These strong, gusty and deep trade winds will taper off by the middle of the new week, tapering off back into the more normal moderately strong realms.

Well, since it is Friday, and I'm one to hold pretty tightly to my habits, I'll be taking in a few film this evening. I must forewarn you, that this particular film isn't anywhere near the top of my must sees. Nonetheless, a friend of mine, and I might add, a person who I trust in these matters…has told me that I would enjoy it. So, I'll be going to see Men In Black, starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, and Jemaine Clement…among many others. The synopsis: agents J and K are back. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind. As far as the reviews go, they are mixed, which is a little worry some, although not a show stopper. I'll be sure, as always, to let you know what I thought of this film in the morning. Here's a trailer, just in case you had the slightest interest in taking a quick look.

Here in Kula, Maui at 520pm, it was mostly cloudy with a couple of light periods of sprinkles during the late afternoon hours, with light breezes…and an air temperature of 69.8F degrees. As this satellite image shows, we see a rather large swath of high and middle level clouds that has moved over the state from the northwest. As these clouds continue to move over the island chain, there will be quite a bit of sun dimming and filtering during the day again Saturday. At the same time we see just a smattering of lower level clouds to the east of the state, which will be carried our way on the strengthening trade winds.

Meanwhile, an upper level area of low pressure is located to the east and northeast of the state, which is forecast to migrate westward over the islands this weekend. If this occurs as the computer forecast models suggest, it could enhance windward showers to some degree. The cold air aloft associated with this upper low, may even be able to trigger a few heavier showers here and there. There's even a slight chance of one or two thunderstorms forming over the islands Saturday night into Sunday. The winds remain up through next Tuesday, while the chance of those showers this weekend fades starting Monday. ~~~ I'll be back Saturday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Friday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

[World-wide tropical cyclone activity:]

Central Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones expected through the next 48 hours.

Eastern Pacific Ocean:  Hurricane Carlotta (3E) is spinning in the waters of the far eastern Pacific, located approximately 125 miles east of Acapulco, Mexico…with sustained winds of 80 mph. This hurricane is expected to weaken through the remainder of its life cycle, although bringing heavy flooding rainfall with flash flooding and mudslides to the southern coast in the process. Here is the NHC graphical track map for this tropical cyclone, along with a satellite image.

A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ABOUT 500 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO MEXICO IS PRODUCING DISORGANIZED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. ANY DEVELOPMENT, if any, OF THIS SYSTEM SHOULD BE SLOW TO OCCUR AS IT MOVES NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AT ABOUT 5 MPH THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE…10 PERCENT…OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

Here's a satellite image showing Carlotta's exact position, and this tropical disturbance as well

Atlantic Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones expected through the next 48 hours.

Western Pacific Ocean: Typhoon Guchol (05W) is located approximately 565 NM east of Manila, Philippines. Sustained winds were 115 mph, with gusts to near 144 mph. This typhoon will move north-northwest, north and finally northeast…strengthening further over the next two days. Guchol is forecast to remain offshore to the east of the Philippine Islands, and Taiwan too, as it moves very close to the east of Okinawa…then towards the eastern Japanese coast…and directly over Tokyo as a reduced tropical storm. Here is a JTWC graphical track map for this tropical cyclone, along with a satellite image.   

South Indian Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

Interesting:  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, has released its State of the Climate Global Analysis for May 2012. This analysis looks at weather recordings from monitoring points all around the world. Temperatures from the last month were compared to baseline levels which is the average taken from 1961-1990.

For most of the planet, both over land and over sea, southern and northern hemisphere, temperatures were higher. In fact, they were the 2nd highest of all time, just below the all-time record set in 2010. The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for May was 1.19 deg F above the average 58.6 deg F.

For the northern hemisphere, home to the majority of land area and human population, May was the warmest ever. In the Southern hemisphere, it was the 9th warmest ever. The average land surface temperature was highest around the world.

It was temperatures over the ocean that brought down the global average to 2nd place. For the boreal spring 2012 (March to May), the combined global land and ocean temperatures were the seventh warmest on record, 1.06 deg F above the average.

Year to date, it was the 11th warmest January to May around the world. There were a few highlights precipitation-wise as well. Two tropical storms formed in the North Atlantic before the official start of the hurricane season on June 1st.

These storms brought relief to the drought-stricken states of the southeastern US. Spain and much of India suffered under dry conditions during May. However, the dryness in India is no longer an issue since the monsoon season began in early June.

The La Nina weather phenomenon dissipated in April, creating dry condition across Australia. The nation-continent received just 60 percent of its average monthly amount, and Western Australia received a mere 22 percent of the average.