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

81  Lihue, Kauai
81  Honolulu, Oahu
77  Molokai
84  Kahului, Maui
83  Kailua Kona
84  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 943pm Friday evening:

 

Kailua Kona – 77
Hilo, Hawaii
– 72


Haleakala Summit –   41
(near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 34 (13,000+ feet on the Big Island)


Hawaii’s MountainsHere’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.

 


Aloha Paragraphs


http://www.gohawaii.com/images/BIG%20ISLAMD/resized/1018-IMG_4463.jpg

L
ighter winds into the weekend, becoming southeast
with voggy skies locally…lasting well into the new week


Showers will occur during the afternoon hours over
the interior sections…into the new week ahead – some
locally generous







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


21  Waimea Heights, Kauai – SE
20  Kahuku, Oahu – SE
20  Molokai – ENE
13  Lanai – ENE
12  Kahoolawe – SE
15  Hana,
Maui – ESE
24  South Point, Big Island – NE


Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands…as of Friday evening (845pm totals):


0.94  N Wailua ditch, Kauai
2.45  Tunnel RG, Oahu
0.53  Molokai
0.30  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
4.60  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.84  Honaunau, 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 ~~~



Lighter southeast breezes through the weekend…lasting well into the new week ahead. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a real-time wind profile of the central Pacific…focused on the Hawaiian Islands. ~~~ We see a moderately strong, near 1026 millibar high pressure system to the northeast of our islands, moving slowly eastward. At the same time, we see a gale low pressure to our northwest, with its associated cold front approaching the state. Our local winds will ease up into the weekend, as this cold front to our northwest…moves by to our north.

Satellite imagery shows quite a few large cloud patches over and around the state…some of which will bring showers locally at times.
Looking at this larger satellite image, which is in the looping mode, we see high cirrus clouds moving from west to east, generally to our northwest…and south at the time of this writing. Meanwhile, much of the lower level clouds are associated with an old frontal cloud band, from several days ago. These clouds are starting to pull northward, and we may see some of those high cirrus clouds to our south…coming into the state as well.  Here’s a looping radar image, showing most of the rainfall falling over the ocean to the north and south of the islands, although some of the islands are finding generous shower activity as well. There are some moderately heavy showers falling locally on some of the islands.

Our winds will be tapering off in strength…as the our next late season cold front moves by to the north. At the same time, it’s presence will cause our winds to slow down. This lighter wind episode will come in from the southeasterly direction…eventually carrying volcanic haze (vog) up over the smaller islands. Looking ahead, it appears that this light wind episode will last well into the new week. The latest model output also shows yet another late season cold approaching the islands later next week as well, which will help keep our light breezes in place. I’ll be back early Saturday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Friday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Here on Maui, at the 3,100 foot elevation, at my upper Kula, Maui weather tower, the air temperature was 58.5 degrees at 550am on this Friday morning. Skies are clear here in Kula, although partly to mostly cloudy in other areas of the island, with calm winds. As you look at the satellite images above, the bulk of all those clouds you see are associated with an old cold front…that brought them our way several days ago. Their presence will help keep somewhat more than the ordinary amount of showery weather in our a area for the time being. The daytime heating of the islands this afternoon and tomorrow again, will prompt those expected afternoon convective showers over and around the mountains. Our local beaches, at least in most areas, should see fairly nice weather for the most part.

Update at 930am here in Kula: the clouds are gathering quickly, with that feeling of moisture in the air…it wouldn’t surprise me to see something falling out of these clouds pretty soon.


Update at 1050am, the clouds are as dark as they can be before rain comes out of them, as a matter of fact I was just out playing ping pong…and I felt the first drops.

It’s now early afternoon, at 115pm here in Kula. The drizzle that arrived earlier has backed off now, although with that said, the clouds are getting darker and darker again now. It’s feeling like the next round of light showers may be right around the corner. Looking at this looping radar image, I see that there are certainly more rainfall happening elsewhere in the state too. The yellow colors in this radar shows moderately heavy rainfall, which is interesting. Meanwhile, it’s lunch time, and I’m going down to fill a large bowl with organic kale, carrots and red cabbage…I’ll be back in no time. Just before I go, the air temperature feels cool, with a light breeze and 70.2 degrees on my thermometer.

Update at 320pm, with pea soup fog, a cool 67.3 degrees, light winds…and a very light mist. It seems more like a winter afternoon, than spring at the moment, the kind of day that feels good simply reading, before getting ready to head out to this film that I wrote about below.

It’s just before 5pm Friday, and we’ve had steady rain for the last 30 minutes or so. It was interesting to watch it work up to this event, as the skies got darker and darker. My neighbor just got back from Kahului, and he said that it was raining all the way up the mountain. The air temperature is 65.8 degrees, which definitely feels cool. Even down in Kahului at about the same time, it was an unseasonably cool 74 degrees…certainly compared to the 83 degrees being reported in Kailua Kona at the same time.

Friday evening film: 
The film we saw last Friday was surprisingly good, and I’m hoping this next one will follow in its footsteps. This week’s film is called Captain America: The Winter Soldier, starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Samuel Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Gary Shandling, Branka Katic, Robert Redford, and Hayley Atwell…among many others. The synopsis: Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and teams up with Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C. ~~~ My neighbors Jeff and Svetlana and I are going to see this film, with one of their friends, whose apparently a belly dancer, joining us. We’ll have dinner out beforehand, and then we’ll sink into this long 2+ hour film. I
‘ll be sure to let you know what I think Saturday morning, and until then…here’s the trailer.


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)


North Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones


South Pacific Ocean:
There are no active tropical cyclones

North and South Indian Oceans:
There are no active tropical cyclones

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


Interesting: Eating endangered species in China could yield jail time – It’s well known that much of the world’s massive illegal wildlife trade ends up in China, including poached tigers, pangolins, and bears. But now those who order pangolin fetuses, tiger blood, or bear bile at a restaurant or market may see significant jail time. According to a reinterpretation of Chinese law by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), consumers of some 420 rare or endangered species in China could be sentenced to over ten years depending on the offense.


“Buyers are a major motivator of large-scale illegal hunting,” said Lang Sheng, Deputy Head of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee.


Trading in rare or endangered species as already illegal in China, but the new interpretation of the law adds consuming, or eating, such species as “trading,” making consumers directly liable. Still, the new legal interpretation allows consumers to eat animals that were captive bred, raising questions about how well the law can be enforced. China is home to a number of so-called tiger farms and bear bile centers where captive breeding animals for consumption is the norm.


Despite this loophole, conservationists have generally praised the move, seeing as one of several new efforts by the Chinese government to tackle the illegal wildlife trade and other environmental problems.


“President Xi’s administration has stated its intent to increase environmental protection,” said WildAid Executive Director Peter Knights. “Last year they banned shark fin from all state banquets. In January they publicly crushed seized ivory. State media supported the world’s largest demand reduction campaign for wildlife developed in partnership with WildAid and led by Yao Ming and Jackie Chan. This is another forceful step in wildlife protection that will impact animals globally.”