Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragraphs / September 7-8, 2012

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

Lihue, Kauai –                       82  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –        81  
Molokai airport –                   86
Kahului airport, Maui –      88 
Kona airport     –                  84  
Hilo airport, Hawaii –             84

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state…as of 930pm Friday evening:

Kailua-kona – 76 
Hilo, Hawaii – 72

Haleakala Summit –      39  (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit –    37  (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 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.

Aloha Paragraphs

Locally lighter winds into Saturday, showers
at times, locally heavy…possible thunderstorm
around Kauai, and leeward Big Island slopes

As this weather map shows, we have a near 1029 millibar high pressure system located to the northeast of the islands. Our local winds will be gradually easing up in strength into Saturday…then gradually rebounding later Sunday onwards.

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

18            Port Allen, Kauai – SE
23            Kahuku Trng, Oahu – ESE   
31            Molokai  
33            Kahoolawe – ESE
30            Kahului, Maui – NE 
13            Lanai – NE
24            Upolu airport, 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:
 
1.85               Mount Waialeale, Kauai
2.39               Pupukea Road, Oahu
0.17               Molokai
3.06               Lanai
0.00               Kahoolawe
4.45               Puu Kukui, Maui
0.67               Saddle Quarry, Big Island  

                                                       ~~ Hawaii Sunset Commentary ~~ 

Our trade winds have turned lighter, at least locally as we move into the first part of the weekend…and then will strengthen later Sunday into the new week.  We find a near 1031 millibar high pressure system (weather map), located far to the northeast of the islands Friday evening. The forecast is calling for localized heavy showers over many parts of the state into Saturday. These locally heavy showers are being prompted by an upper trough of low pressure moving across the state, destabilizing our overlying atmosphere. There will also be a chance that the moisture associated with former tropical cyclone Ileana…may bring tropical showers to the eastern parts of the state later this weekend too.

As we look at this satellite image, it shows low clouds over and around the islands. These lower level clouds will bring showers locally at times into Saturday…some will be heavy. At the same time, we see an area of high and middle level clouds moving across the state from west to east. Our winds will remain somewhat lighter, at least locally through Saturday. As the trough of low pressure moves over the western part of the state tonight into Saturday morning, our shower activity will be enhanced just about anywhere. The leeward slopes during the afternoon today, on both Maui and the Big Island, saw generous showers falling at times. Then, yet another possible more modest increase in showers could occur later this weekend, when the moisture from an old tropical cyclone (Ileana), that was active in the eastern Pacific, moves towards us from the east and southeast on Sunday into Monday. 

Friday evening film:  I'm going to see a new film, one that I've been really looking forward to. This one is called Lawless, starring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Dane Dehaan, Mia Wasikowska, Gary Oldman, and Guy Pearce…among many others. The synopsis: the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. Inspired by true-life tales of author Matt Bondurant's family in his novel "The Wettest County In The World," the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against the backdrop of the nation's most notorious crime wave. The critics are weighing in favorably for the most part, and I've even heard humors about academy awards in relation to this film. The first time I saw the trailer for this film, I knew this was going to be one I would like very much. You can see by the title, this isn't going to be a soft and gentle film, far from it I'm sure! Here's the trailer, just in case you're curious about it…although its not for the faint of heart.

Here in Kula, Maui at 515pm Friday evening, it was cloudy and calm with off and on showers…and a cool air temperature of 66.7F degrees. As the upper level trough of low pressure moves into the area around Kauai tonight, our local winds have trended downwards in strength. These winds have veered around to the southeast around Kauai and Oahu…having become light and variable in some locations for the time being. This trough of low pressure will bring a destabilized atmosphere [with its cold air aloft] over Kauai, and perhaps Oahu as well. This in turn will increase the chance of heavy showers, or even a thunderstorm over Kauai. The rest of the state too…will remain more shower prone, with some locally heavy showers falling here and there at times too.  Here's the looping radar image for the islands, as we'll need to keep an eye on the forecast heavy showers that will fall locally at times. I'll be back Saturday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Friday night until then. Aloha for now…Glenn.

        World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea: Tropical storm Leslie (12L) is active in the Atlantic…located 290 miles south-southeast of Bermuda. Sustained winds were 65 mph, moving north at near 8 mph. Here's the NHC graphical track map for Leslie, and a satellite image. Here's the hurricane models output for this storm. There are no land areas in the projected path of this tropical cyclone at the moment…although Bermuda will see Leslie moving by to the east this weekend. High surf, gusty winds, and heavy rain will impact Bermuda. High surf will continue to pound the east coast of the United States this weekend.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Michael (13L) remains active in the central Atlantic. It's located about 930 miles west-southwest of the Azores, moving northwest at 5 mph…with sustained winds of 105 mph…keeping it a category 2 hurricane. Here's the NHC graphical, track map. Here's what the hurricane models are showing.

Finally, a tropical disturbance remains active offshore from the west coast of Africa…moving across the Cape Verde Islands. It has a medium 30% chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 48 hours.

Here's a satellite image showing storm Leslie, hurricane Michael, and that tropical disturbance above…and the disturbance noted below in the Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf of Mexico:  There are no active tropical cyclones

An area of low pressure remains active over the north-central Gulf of Mexico. It has a 0% chance of developing during the next 48 hours.

Eastern Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Central Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Western Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

South Pacific Ocean:   There are no active tropical cyclones

North and South Indian Oceans:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Interesting:  Recycling has long been the low-hanging fruit of sustainability in both neighborhoods and offices. More municipalities and office buildings have recycling programs and for the consumer, pitching those cereal boxes, bottles and cans are even easier than before. Single-stream or "commingled" recycling programs make it even easier for us: the days of separate and clunky bins of paper, metal and glass are no longer the norm.

Likely, the amount of garbage you pitch on a weekly basis, probably fills an average sized plastic bag from the local supermarket. Advocates for green jobs tout recycling as a job opportunity for those seeking employment. But while recycling is easy for consumers, the job of those who sort those materials at a site far away from our homes and offices is dangerous, dirty and often pays a marginal wage.

More cities allow just about everything to be plunked in the recycling bin, from Tetra-Pak boxes to CFL bulbs to food scraps. But someone has to separate all those items, and if you have those acid reflex moments when you haul your cans away or walk up to your apartment’s dumpster once a week, imagine what it is like for a recycling worker day in and day out.

Last year, a Forbes article quoted sanitation and recycling workers as having the 7th most dangerous job in the country, with 25 deaths per 100,000 workers. Jean Tepperman's article in the East Bay Express explains the long-term harm that recycling workers endure due to several factors. Recycling workers in Oakland, no matter how good their protective gear is, still breathe in toxins and risk contamination if they suffer a cut on the job.

It would be more comforting to assume that machines simply shake and sort through all this garbage, but despite the automation at recycling centers, workers still often have to sift through garbage by hand. And in Oakland, recycling workers’ jobs are about to get worse as the city has mandated that they dig through garbage to salvage food waste for compost.

As Tepperman points out, such a task makes the job even tougher for Oakland’s recycling workers, who at the city’s Davis Street plant earn $12.65 an hour, a salary that makes it almost impossible to live and survive in the Bay Area. In Southern California, organizations including Don't Waste LA have exposed the conditions to which recycling workers are subjected. Contact with rotten food, syringes and chemicals subject workers to a job that is one of the most dangerous in California.

Part of this problem is the inconsistency that governs the recycling industry. Residents of single family homes and small apartment buildings are generally serviced by municipal workers, who may (or may not) have more protections on the job. Large residential complexes and businesses often contract out waste services to private companies, and therein lies the core of the problem for recycling workers who end up with little training in a dangerous and noxious job.

The result is simmering anger and frustration, as summed up in this video produced by the non-profit Cuentame. Pitching empty bottles and newspapers into the recycling bin makes us feel good because it requires little effort and is an easy way to say we are living sustainably and responsibly. But the burden of waste diversion falls on workers who frequently struggle with low wages and threats to their health.

The solutions are complicated and, for consumers and businesses, are often viewed as inconvenient. Recycling is a remunerative industry more than ever before, but everyone should have a role in tackling the problems of recycling and waste. More companies, such as those in the beverage industry, could take greater responsibility for their single-use containers.

Retailers can be more aggressive in promoting the recycling of a bevy of materials from batteries to CFLs. Property management companies and restaurants should also be more proactive about food waste. Separating waste may require an extra step on our behalf, but “being green” should not just be about resources–we should all take a moment and think about the people that actually have to confront this grueling and ghastly work.