Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday:
81 Lihue, Kauai
84 Honolulu, Oahu
M Molokai
84 Kahului, Maui
82 Kona, Hawaii
81 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 810pm Thursday evening:
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 71
Haleakala Summit – 41 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 30 (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
Slightly cooler northerly breezes, fine weather…
just a few windward showers
The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Thursday evening:
12 Waimea Heights, Kauai – SW
12 Waianae Valley, Oahu – S
12 Molokai – SE
12 Lanai – SW
09 Kahoolawe – SE
13 Lipoa, Maui – ENE
27 PTA West, Big Island – N
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Thursday evening:
0.15 Kokee, Kauai
0.14 Waianae Boat Harbor, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.00 Maui
0.18 Pohakuloa Keamuku, 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 ~~~
Our local winds will gradually become northerly into Saturday, then around the compass face to northeast trades this weekend…into the first half of next week. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the Pacific Ocean. Our local winds will be veering to the north into Saturday, before shifting back to the northeast trade wind direction Sunday into Monday. Thereafter, weather models suggest that they could shift back to the southeast or south…as a new cold front approaches the state later next week.
Skies are clearing quickly, as the recent unsettled weather, with almost heavy showers…moves away to the east. Satellite imagery still shows bright white clouds situated over the eastern islands, with the back edge of these clouds clearing all the islands tonight. Here’s the looping radar image, showing light to moderately heavy showers clearing the Big Island…while the rest of the state is looking much drier now. Favorably inclined weather conditions, although somewhat cooler than it has been lately, will prevail into Saturday. I’ll be back with your next new weather narrative early Friday morning, I hope you have a great Thursday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.
World-wide tropical cyclone activity:
Atlantic Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones
Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean
Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones
Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclone
Here’s a satellite image of the Caribbean Sea…and the Gulf of Mexico.
Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)
Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclone
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)
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 04B (Helen) is dissipating as it moves inland over southeastern India. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image. – Final Warning
Tropical Cyclone 02S is now active in the south Indian Ocean. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image.
Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
Interesting: Brazil Deforestation Up 28%. After a significant drop in the last several years, the annual deforestation rates in Brazil raised 28% for the period August 2012-July 2013, according to INPE, the Brazilian Spatial Institute.
The total area deforested in 2012-2013 is 5,843 km2 – a trend led by the states of Mato Grosso, Roraima, Maranhão, and Pará.
The area cleared in Mato Grosso rose 52% from 757 km2 in 2012 to 1,149. The area cleared in Pará rose 37% from 1,741 km2 to 2,379 km. For Roraima deforestation increased 49% from 124 km2 to 185 km2. Maranhão registered 269 km2 cleared in 2012 and 382 km2 in 2013, an increase of 42%.
Only three states out of 10 in the Brazilian Amazon – Acre, Amapá and Tocantins – registered a drop in deforestation. In Acre state, the illegally deforested area fell 35% from 305 km2 to 199 km2. For Amapá, deforestation fell 60% from 27 km2 in 2012 to just 11km2 in 2013. In Tocantins,deforestation fell 17% from 52 km2 in 2012 to 43km2 in 2013.
The announcement was made by the Brazilian Environment Ministry, Izabella Teixeira, in a press conference held on November 14 in Brasilia: “Unfortunately there has been an increasing trend in deforestation rates in some states, but I would like to emphasize that the government commitment is to reverse this trend and any increase tendency.”
“What we want is to eliminate illegal deforestation in the Amazon. For this we need the support of governments and society.”
In Pará state illegal mining is the main cause of deforestation, Teixeira added. She also mentioned a new dynamic of illegal action: large areas are cleared and abandoned, then after three years groups of people come back to occupy the area, possible a new type of land grabbing. Another driver of deforestation is the clearance of selected trees for illegal logging under the canopy.
Through a partnership with the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), Brazil government is cooperating to strength the deforestation monitoring in other Amazon countries.
Francisco Oliveira, director of the Department of Policies to Reduce Deforestation at the Brazilian Environment Ministry, said the Amazon countries had developed a deforestation map of the entire Amazon region for 2010-2012.
“It is important to share with other countries the Brazilian experience in monitoring illegal deforestation. We offer a consistent system and we hope that this will collaborate to their public policies to face illegal deforestation.”
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