Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Tuesday:
83 Lihue, Kauai
85 Honolulu, Oahu
83 Molokai
90 Kahului, Maui – record high temperature for the date was 92…back in 1969
85 Kona, Hawaii
83 Hilo, Hawaii
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops on Maui and the Big Island…as of 743pm Tuesday evening:
Kailua Kona – 80
Hana airport, Maui – 75
Haleakala Summit – 54 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 43 (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.
Aloha Paragraphs
Kauai Island
Small Craft Wind Advisory…coastal and channel waters
around parts of Maui County and the Big Island
Locally strong and gusty trade winds, off and on passing
windward showers…a few leeward sections
The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Tuesday evening:
25 Port Allen, Kauai – NE
31 Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NNE
30 Molokai – NE
32 Lanai – NE
38 Kahoolawe – NE
30 Kahului, Maui – NE
30 Upolu airport, Big Island – NE
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Tuesday evening:
1.13 Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.40 Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.21 Molokai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.00 Lanai
0.28 Puu Kukui, Maui
0.37 Glenwood, 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 Narrative ~~~
Steady trade winds…remaining active through the next week. Here’s a weather chart showing a near 1030 millibar high pressure system located to the northeast of our islands. This high pressure cell has an associated ridge to our north and northwest, which is responsible for providing trade winds across our area. The models show a weak cold front well to the north of the state, moving by from west to east Wednesday. This weather feature may slow down our trade winds slightly through Friday, although they won’t go away altogether by any means. As we get into the weekend, we’ll likely strengthen a notch…continuing into next week.
A trade wind weather pattern will prevail, with off and on windward showers. Satellite imagery shows high cirrus clouds to the east of the Big Island…and a much smaller area to the west of Kauai. At lower levels, there’s cumulus and stratocumulus to the north through east of the islands…being carried in our direction on the trades. These clouds will drop showers at times as they arrive. Here’s the looping radar image, showing some of these showers passing by along our windward coasts and slopes, and over the offshore waters as well. As the trade winds remain gusty, some of these showers will spread over into the leeward sides at times on the smaller islands. I’ll be back early Wednesday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise, I hope you have a great Tuesday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.
World-wide tropical cyclone activity:
Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea: Tropical Depression 02L continues moving over the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico, called the Bay of Campeche. This depression was located about 95 miles north of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds were 35 mph. The present movement was west at 09 mph. Here’s the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) graphical track map, along with a satellite image. Here’s what the computer models are showing. This tropical depression is becoming more organized, and is on the verge of becoming a tropical storm named Barry. This tropical system will bring heavy, flooding rainfall to southern Mexico…primarily the state of Veracruz during the next few days.
ELSEWHERE…TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones
TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS
Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours
Here’s a wide satellite image that covers the entire area between Mexico, out through the central Pacific…to the International Dateline.
Central Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones
Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)…covering our central Pacific.
No Tropical cyclones are expected through Friday morning
Western Pacific Ocean: Tropical Storm 04W (Leepi) remains active in the Philippine Sea, located about 216 NM southwest of Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map…along with the satellite image showing TS 04W. Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
South Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones
North and South Indian Oceans: There are no active tropical cyclones
Interesting: The use of pesticides have been debated for some time now, as research indicates their use can have a negative effect on the environment. As an agent meant to prevent, destroy or mitigate any pest, pesticides target unwanted plants and animals that can alter ecosystems, cause nuisance, or spread disease. Besides potentially being toxic to humans and other animals, new research conducted by an international team of scientists has revealed that pesticides are responsible for reducing regional biodiversity of invertebrates by up to 42 percent.
Mikhail A. Beketov and Matthias Liess from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, together with Ben Kefford from the University of Technology, Sydney and Ralf B. Schäfer from the Institute for Environmental Sciences Landau, analyzed the impact of pesticides, including both insecticides and fungicides, on flowing waters in Germany, France and Australia. pesticides on regional biodiversity.
The researchers compared the numbers of species in different regions and were able to demonstrate considerable losses in the regional biodiversity of aquatic insects and other freshwater invertebrates. A difference in biodiversity of 42 percent was found between non-contaminated and strongly-contaminated areas in Europe; in Australia, a decrease of 27 percent was demonstrated.
The researchers also discovered that the overall decrease in biodiversity is primarily due to the disappearance of several species that are most susceptible to pesticides. These include invertebrates like stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies, and dragonflies, which are important members of the food chain. Because these species have a regular exchange between surface and ground water, they function as an indicator of water quality.
To date, the approval of pesticides has primarily been based on experimental work carried out in laboratories and artificial ecosystems. To be able to assess the ecological impact of such chemical substances properly, existing concepts need to be validated by investigations in real environments as soon as possible.
Matthias Liess, ecotoxicologist states: “The latest results show that the aim of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to slow down the decline in the number of species by 2020 is jeopardized. Pesticides will always have an impact on ecosystems, no matter how rigid protection concepts are, but realistic considerations regarding the level of protection required for the various ecosystems can only be made if validated assessment concepts are implemented.”
The threat to biodiversity from pesticides has obviously been underestimated in the past and this research emphasizes the need to prevent biodiversity loss by way of reducing pesticide use.
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