Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 76
Honolulu airport, Oahu – 79
Molokai airport – 76
Kahului airport, Maui – 80
Kona airport – 82
Hilo airport, Hawaii – 76
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state…as of 510am Tuesday morning:
Honolulu, Oahu – 71
Hilo airport, Hawaii – 64
Haleakala Summit – 37 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 27 (13,000+ 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 – if it's working.
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. The 2012 hurricane season is over in the eastern and central Pacific…resuming on May 15th and June 1st 2013.
Aloha Paragraphs
Occasional showers windward sides…sunshine
at most leeward beaches – becoming windier!
Gale Warning for those windiest channels around Maui
and the Big Island of Hawaii…beginning this morning
Wind Advisory for the windiest areas on both Maui and
the Big Island of Hawaii…starting this morning
,
Small Craft Advisory for gusty trade winds for all marine
zones across the Hawaiian Islands
High Surf Advisory along all east facing shores
~~~535am HST Tuesday morning: clear to partly cloudy,
light breezes…at my upcountry Kula, Maui weather tower:
the air temperature was 52.9F degrees~~~
The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Monday evening:
27 Port Allen, Kauai – NE
43 Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
29 Molokai – NE
37 Kahoolawe – NE
30 Kapalua, Maui – NE
42 South Point, Big Island – NE
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Monday evening:
0.34 Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.03 Nuuanu Upper, Oahu
0.01 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.66 Puu Kukui, Maui
2.25 Kawainui Stream, 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 Weather Commentary ~~~
Our trade winds will continue to become locally stronger and gusty, reaching 30-40+ mph in gusts…perhaps even up to 50 mph at times over the next several days. Here's a weather chart showing high pressure systems far to the northeast of Hawaii. At the same time, we see storm low pressure systems far to the north and northwest. Our trade wind weather pattern will prevail, with the winds continuing to be stronger than normal. These trade winds will be blowing in a robust manner through the rest of this week. Small craft wind advisory flags remain up over all coastal and channel waters…statewide. Wind advisories are now active over those most exposed island areas…of Maui and the Big Island. At the same time, gale warnings are now necessary over those channels fronting Maui and the Big Island as well. As you can see, there is lots of activity, in relation to the soon strengthening wind force across our Hawaiian island chain!
Satellite imagery shows fairly minor amounts of low clouds at the moment…along our windward sides primarily. This larger satellite picture shows the departing large area of bright white, high level clouds to the south and east of the state. The lower level moisture to our east and northeast, being carried our way on the gusty trades, will bring passing showers to our islands at times. The overall theme in terms of precipitation this week: a few windward biased showers, although drier Tuesday through Thursday, followed by a possible increase in windward showers Friday into the weekend. Meanwhile, the leeward sides should be having lots of warm sunshine beaming down through the days. Speaking of beaming down, the just past full moon, will be doing a great job again tonight. The main thing, increasingly strong trade winds. I'll be back a little later with more updates, I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you're spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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 17S (Rusty) remains active in the south Indian Ocean, just offshore of northwest Australia…located approximately 335 NM east-northeast of Learmonth, Australia. Sustained winds are 65 knots, with gusts to 80 knots (75-92 mph). Here's the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) graphical track map, and a satellite image.
Tropical cyclone Tropical cyclone 18S remains active in the south Indian Ocean…located approximately 1000 NM west-northwest of Learmonth, Australia. Sustained winds are 35 knots, with gusts to 45 knots (40-52 mph). Here's the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) graphical track map, and a satellite image.
Interesting: Nearly half of India's wildlife budget goes to one species: the tiger, reports a recent article in Live Mint. India has devoted around $63 million to wildlife conservation for 2013-2013, of which Project Tiger receives $31 million.
The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List; however India is also home to 132 species currently considered Critically Endangered, the highest rating before extinction.
After tigers, elephants receive the next greatest amount: $4 million or 6 percent of the total. Combating the illegal wildlife trade—one of the gravest threats to many of India's species—is funded with just $1 million.
Many of the nation's species receive no government funding whatsoever. "The Great Indian bustard was a priority species for action for which we even developed a species recovery plan (along with the Bengal florican, the lesser florican, Jerdon's courser, the giant clam, the hangul, the Bastar wild buffalo), but funds were not allocated by the government," Asad Rahmani, the director of the Bombay Natural History Society told Live Mint.
The Great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is down to only about 250 individuals. The hangul, or Kashmir stag (Cervus elaphus hanglu), has fallen to 160 individuals. After being thought extinct for 80 years, Jerdon's courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus) may be down to just fifty birds.
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