Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Sunday:

79  Lihue, Kauai
80  Honolulu, Oahu
82  Molokai
83  Kahului, Maui
82  Kona, Hawaii
80  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 Sunday evening:

 

Kailua Kona – 78
Hana, Maui – 70


Haleakala Summit –   39 (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


http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/ir4.jpg

http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif

Trade winds picking up in strength again today onwards

A few showers, some of which may be locally heavy on
Maui and the Big Island…windward showers

Small Craft Wind Advisory…windiest coastal and channel
waters around Maui County and the Big Island

 




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

12  Poipu, Kauai – NE
20  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
18  Molokai – NNE
21  Lanai – ENE
17  Kahoolawe – NE
21  Kapalua, Maui – NE
20  Upolu airport, Big Island – NE


Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Sunday evening:

1.43  N Wailua ditch, Kauai
0.53  Kunia substation, Oahu
0.00  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
1.83  Ulupalakua, Maui
0.37  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 Narrative ~~~



Light breezes will prevail today…picking up again during the day Monday. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the Pacific Ocean. We find a near 1030 millibar high pressure system far to the northeast of the state, with the tail-end of its associated ridge extending southwest…well to the northeast of Hawaii. There’s also a second high pressure cell to the north of our islands, moving northeastward. At the same time we see a gale low pressure system far north, in the Gulf of Alaska, with an associated cold front draping down, with its tail-end just just north of Kauai. ~~~ Our local winds were quite light today, with daytime sea breezes locally. This softening of the winds was due to the close proximity of this cold front, which will pull up to our north Monday. As the cold front leaves our area, and the ridge strengthens…we’ll find rebounding trade winds then through most of the rest of the new work week.

We’ll find some showers at times, a few of which will be locally quite generous…especially over the Big Island and Maui County. Satellite imagery shows deep clouds, with towering cumulus and cumulonimbus over the ocean not far to the northeast and east of the state. This area of unsettled weather is looming close by, and whether it will edge closer, is still a question at the moment. Here’s the looping radar image, showing that despite these showers offshore, that there are just a few showers falling over the islands at the moment. There were however some heavy showers during the afternoon hours on the slopes of the Haleakala Crater on Maui. An upper level low pressure system, with its cold air aloft, is helping to trigger these heavier showers. As the trade winds begin blowing Monday, we could see some of these showers to our east…being blown onto our north and eastern windward coasts and slopes.

As we move into the upcoming new week, our weather will be dominated by gusty trade winds…and their associated windward showers at times. As we push into the new week, it appears that a more typical, early winter trade wind weather pattern will return. However, there may be more than the normal amount of passing showers over the Big Island and Maui late tonight into Monday. It’s still looking like Christmas Day may have favorably inclined weather conditions. Looking even further ahead, the models continue showing another cold front approaching the state later Friday into next weekend, with more unsettled weather arriving then…stay tuned. We’re into our winter season now, which typically has more rapid weather changes, along with twists and turns along the way. I’ll be back early Monday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise, I hope you have a great Sunday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.



World-wide tropical cyclone activity:


Atlantic Ocean: The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

Caribbean Sea:

Gulf of Mexico:

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: The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15th through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


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: The Central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


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 03S (Amara) remains active in the South Indian Ocean. Here’s a JTWC graphical track map…along with a satellite image.

Tropical cyclone 04S (Bruce) remains active in the South Indian Ocean. Here’s a JTWC graphical track map…along with a satellite image.

Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)



Interesting: Climate change and livestock – Climate change, and man’s role in it is being extensively studied by universities and government agencies around the world. The impact of ruminant livestock has been studied, but the effects of livestock emissions may have been underestimated.


A team of international scientists, including Oregon State University Professor William Ripple concludes that while climate change negotiators struggle to agree on ways to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, they have paid inadequate attention to other greenhouse gases associated with livestock, according to an analysis by an international research team.


A reduction in non-CO2 greenhouse gases will be required to abate climate change, the researchers said. Cutting releases of methane and nitrous oxide, two gases that pound-for-pound trap more heat than does CO2, should be considered alongside the challenge of reducing fossil fuel use.


William Ripple, a professor in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, and co-authors from Scotland, Austria, Australia and the United States, reached their conclusions on the basis of a synthesis of scientific knowledge on greenhouse gases, climate change and food and environmental issues. They drew from a variety of sources including the Food and Agricultural Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and recent peer-reviewed publications.


“Because the Earth’s climate may be near a tipping point to major climate change, multiple approaches are needed for mitigation,” said Ripple. “We clearly need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels to cut CO2 emissions. But that addresses only part of the problem. We also need to reduce non-CO2 greenhouse gases to lessen the likelihood of us crossing this climatic threshold.”


Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas, and a recent report estimated that in the United States methane releases from all sources could be much higher than previously thought. Among the largest human-related sources of methane are ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, goats, and buffalo) and fossil fuel extraction and combustion.