Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragraphs / November 24-25, 2012

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

Lihue, Kauai –                       83  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –     84  
Molokai airport –                    83
Kahului airport, Maui –           82 
Kona airport     –                   83  
Hilo airport, Hawaii –              81

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state…as of 1030pm Saturday evening:   

Kailua-kona – 76
Hana airport, Maui – 68

Haleakala Summit –   M       (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 30        (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.

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

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

22            Port Allen, Kauai – ENE
28            Kuaokala, Oahu – N 
20            Molokai – E    
27            Kahoolawe – ENE
20            Lipoa, Maui – NE
31            Lanai – NE
28            Kealakomo, Big Island – NE

Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Saturday evening:
 
0.16               Omao, Kauai
0.01               Nuuanu Upper, Oahu
0.00               Molokai
0.00               Lanai
0.00               Kahoolawe
0.03               Hana airport, Maui
0.10               Pohakuloa Kipuka Alala, Big Island  

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.

                                                       ~~ Hawaii evening commentary ~~ 

A trade wind weather pattern has returned to the islands…wind speeds increasing into the new week. We currently have high pressure systems (weather map), located far to the northwest, and northeast…with an autumn cold front to our northwest. By the way, this front looks like it will get pushed down through the state late Sunday into Monday morning…with a resultant increase in windward showers. The low pressure systems, which made our air mass so shower prone yesterday, are now gone. Thus, the chance of heavy showers and thunderstorms, has ended as well. As the trade winds gain strength through Sunday, and especially by Monday into the new work week ahead, showers will fall at times along the windward coasts and slopes for the most part, although the leeward sides may see a shower too.

As we look at this satellite image, we see a large area of clouds well to the east of the Big Island…and mostly clear skies over and around the islands.  These inordinately clear skies are pretty remarkable any time of year, and quite a change from what we saw just yesterday…at least at the moment. Our beaches will remain mostly clear, with hardly any clouds and showers even coming into our windward sides. A change will take place later in the day Sunday, as a cloud band, or shearline cloud band gets pushed down through the state. This will bring an increase in showers late Sunday into Monday morning. Brisk winds will fill in behind this frontal band, with trade wind weather conditions remaining in effect through at least Wednesday.

It was Friday evening, and so…I drove down to Kahului to see a new film. This time saw the new 007 film called Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney, Ola Rapace, Berenice Marlohe, and Tonia Sotiropoulou…among many others. The synopsis: 007 (Daniel Craig) becomes M's only ally as MI6 comes under attack, and a mysterious new villain emerges with a diabolical plan. James Bond's latest mission has gone horribly awry, resulting in the exposure of several undercover agents, and an all-out attack on M16. Meanwhile, as M (Judi Dench) plans to relocate the agency, emerging Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) raises concerns about her competence while attempting to usurp her position, and Q (Ben Whishaw) becomes a crucial ally. Now the only person who can restore M's reputation is 007. Operating in the dark with only field agent Eve (Naomie Harris) to guide him, the world's top secret agent works to root out an enigmatic criminal mastermind named Silva (Javier Bardem) as a major storm brews on the horizon. Albert Finney also stars in the 23rd installment of the long-running spy series. ~~~ As is almost always the case, I really enjoyed this film, as did the full theater of folks who where there with me. It had all the important aspects of the 007 thrillers, that I've enjoyed over the years. I thought the cast was great and well picked, and who all played their parts with swagger…particularly James Bond of course. As for a grade, a robust B+ is in order here, at least in my opinion. If you have any interest, here's the trailer.

In sum:  The old saying, "what a difference a day makes", sure was true today compared to yesterday…here in the islands. Here's a larger satellite image, which shows just how very clear the skies are over and around the islands!…although this is likely to change during the night.  At the moment, there really isn't a lot more to say about our weather, other than it will remain nice through most of the rest of this weekend. The voggy haze is lighter this evening than it was this morning, as the returning trade winds didn't blow it all away quite yet.  It looks like high level cirrus clouds are riding up towards the state from the southwest or west…and when they arrive before sunrise Sunday, will bring good colors to our skies. Otherwise, the next change will be that cold front moving through the state Sunday night into Monday, bringing passing windward showers with it. As notably, will be the strength of the trade winds following in its wake. I'll be back Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Saturday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn. 

Extra: Youtube music videos, Thievery Corporation...Sweet Tide  ~~~ Full Screen

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

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:  Tropical cyclone Boldwin (02S) remains active in the south Indian Ocean…located approximately 455 NM south of Diego Garcia. Sustained winds were 55 knots, with gusts to near 65 knots. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) predicts this tropical storm to fall short of reaching the typhoon stage, and remain over open ocean through the next four days. Here's the JTWC graphical track map for Boldwin…along with a satellite image.

Interesting:  The Ecologist: I don't want to be told that thanks to Global Warming – now accepted by the majority (77%) of Americans and so therefore, in my opinion, a new Tipping Point – strawberry plants can now survive a Greenland winter. I don't want to see neat little rows of budding lettuce plants growing outside a polytunnel. OUTSIDE a polytunnel; over-wintering under the snow but come the Spring, still alive and sprouting new shoots; cabbage and potatoes to follow.

And I don't want to hear a Greenlander livestock farmer telling me that (once again, thanks to Global Warming) he now has enough newly ice-free pasture land to double the size of his 20,000-strong flock of sheep. None of this is what I want to hear or see. 

But if I thought that was bad, the worst moment in the whole 60-something minutes of the new CNN film Greenland: Secrets in the Ice, was the moment when presenter, Fred Pleitgen tells me that after strawberries and lettuce and pasture fields bulging with ever more sheep, it will be the miners moving in – looking for the huge reserves of diamonds, gold, uranium, gas and oil they believe to be hiding under the ice.

"Mining companies are hoping for a bonanza here, if the ice continues to retreat," Fred adds.

Some are already drilling.

In other words, we can look on the bright side because as the Earth warms and the Arctic ice melts, someone, somewhere can push the business-as-usual 'growth/greed' agenda and make some more money. Lots more money.

This programme – a kind of idiot's guide to why we might want to think twice about destroying our planet – follows Polar 6; an ice survey research plane now mapping the alarming rate of ice-melt across Greenland which is the world's largest island.

As it flies over clear blue pools of ice-water melts, Fred tells us that recent NASA images have shown an unprecedented level of surface ice melt there: 97%.

I think I have misheard that so I rewind and play it again. 97% says Fred. Can that be right? I rewind. Again. 97%. "Twice the usual amount." he notes solemnly.

In fact, the Arctic ice sheet is losing mass at an alarming rate: close to 115 square miles a year.

The Polar 6 researchers, who are from Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, explain that the Secrets in the Ice (from the title) they are looking for, are in fact those pieces of information that make up a kind of frozen archive of information about previous climatic conditions including temperature, ash (from volcanoes) precipitation levels and dust particles present. A solidly-preserved record, if you will, of the climate that goes back 100,000 years. And for this they drill down deep into the ice covering the middle of mainland Greenland.

Cold. Hostile. Gigantic.

An ice sheet more than twice the size of Texas.

A frozen winter wonderland.

Now that's what I want to hear when someone tells me about the ice sheet that covers vast tracts of Greenland making it the second biggest ice mass in the world.

Until the rest of it melts …. I switch off. Depressed. I turn the TV back to the UK's good old BBC where a couple of gents have just won the Pointless Quiz Show Jackpot of £20,000.

"What will you do with the money?" asks that presenter.

"Oh travel, of course," says one. "To the Arctic," adds his mate. "Yes, we like a cruise."

"Better get on with it then," I found myself shouting. "Or else the only thing you will see will be oil rigs and strawberry fields ….Forever!"