Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday…along with the minimums Thursday:

77 – 68  Lihue, Kauai
80 – 68  Honolulu, Oahu
76 – 66  Molokai AP
78 – 65  Kahului AP, Maui
87 – 70  Kailua Kona
80 – 67  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.19  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.02  Waihee Pump, Oahu
0.11  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.19  Kaupo Gap, Maui
0.98  Kawainui Stream, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph)…as of Thursday evening:

32  Port Allen, Kauai – NE
47  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
35  Molokai – NE
43  Lanai – NE
50  Kahaloowe – ENE
36  Kaupo Gap, Maui – NW
47  Kohala Ranch, Big Island – NE

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.


Aloha Paragraphs

http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_ir_enh_west_loop-12.gif
Late winter storms far north of the islands

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/ir4.jpg
Clouds from the recent frontal cloud band…well southeast and
south of the Big Island

 

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/ir4.jpg
Partly to mostly cloudy skies over the windward sides, with
clear to partly cloudy skies on the leeward sides

 

http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
A few showers…mostly windward sides – looping radar image


Small Craft Wind Advisory…all coasts and channel waters

High Surf Advisory…east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu
Molokai, Maui, Kahoolawe and the Big Island

Gale Warning..windiest coasts and channels around the
Big Island

 Wind Advisory…over Lanai, Kahoolawe, and sections of
the Big Island

 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~



Winds remain strong and gusty…in the air mass behind the recent cold front. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean. We find high pressure systems north-northwest and far northeast of the state. At the same time, there’s a ridge of high pressure located to the north of the islands. In the wake of the recent cold front we’ll continue to see strong and gusty north to northeast winds for a while longer. This wind direction keeps cooler than normal weather in the state. The outlook calls for lighter easterly trade winds into the weekend, gradually moderating the chill. The trades will taper off further ahead of the next cold front…arriving Tuesday. This temporary easing of our trade winds will be followed by another blast of chilly north to northeasterly winds next Wednesday for several days.

The recent cold front is located well offshore to the south of the Big Island…with a few light windward showers continuing in its wake. There continues to be a period of chilly and windy weather in the wake of this last cold front…although with limited shower activity along our windward sides for the time being. The leeward sides will be in good shape, although locally windy and cool. Fairly typical, late winter trade wind conditions will prevail through the weekend…with the usual few passing windward showers. The models continue pointing towards yet another cold front arriving over the state early next week…with an increase in associated showers again then. The models are also showing the chance of another cold front arriving around next Friday into Saturday

Marine environment details: Strong trade winds, with gale warning conditions over the typical windier waters around the Big Island and Maui County will continue overnight. A small craft advisory remains in effect for the rest of the coastal Hawaiian waters. The trades will gradually decrease through the weekend, however…some of the marine zones will likely remain under a small craft advisory through Sunday.

A lingering northwest swell will keep elevated surf heights over north and west facing shores through Friday. A small north-northwest swell will arrive Friday, then lower into Saturday. A large northwest swell will arrive late Saturday, likely pushing surf heights to near warning levels by Sunday…over most north and west facing shores of the smaller islands. This swell will gradually subside through the first half of next week. A moderate to large north swell is possible for next Wednesday and Thursday.

Rough surf will continue along east facing shores over the next few days as the trades remain breezy. The east swell will remain at 4-5 feet (8-10 foot wave faces) through Saturday…and then gradually decrease Sunday and early next week.

Here’s a wind profile…of the offshore waters around the islands – with a closer view

Here’s the Hawaiian Islands Sulfate Aerosol…animated graphic – showing vog forecast

 

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Here in Maui County...It was clear to mostly cloudy early this Thursday morning, depending upon location…with showers or drizzle falling along the windward sides. Here in upcountry Kula, at my place, the air temperature was a very cool, the coolest of the winter, 37.9F degrees before sunrise. The temperature at near the same time was 69 degrees down in Kahului under cloudy skies with light rain, 68 out in Hana with clouds, 68 at Maalaea Bay, and 39 atop the Haleakala summit. Meanwhile, Kahoolawe was 63 degrees, 63 at Lanai City, with 67 at the Molokai airport…with partly cloudy skies. / Now at 1120am, here in Kula, it’s clear, calm, sunny and warm. However, as I look down into the central valley, I can now see some sort of haze.

– Late afternoon, under increasing clouds after a very sunny day, and the winds are getting very strong and gusty…after light breezes earlier. There’s some light mist beginning to fly in with the winds too. / Interesting, just 10 minutes later…and the winds have essentially come back down to the calm level!

– The strong winds have come and gone here in upcountry Kula, after our coldest morning of the year so far, again…37.9 degrees here at my weather tower! Now at about 620pm, there are still lots of clouds along the windward sides, with windy conditions blowing drizzle and mist around. In contrast, the clouds and showers are missing from the leeward sides, although the wind is still way up there locally.


World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

>>> Atlantic Ocean: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 hurricane season summary

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

>>> Gulf of Mexico: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

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 last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 North Pacific hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 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.

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

>>> Central Pacific: The central north Pacific hurricane season has officially ended. Routine issuance of the tropical weather outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, special tropical weather outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 hurricane season summary

Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> South Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones


>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

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


Interesting: Record year for rhino poaching in Africa – The number of African rhinos poached in 2015 is higher than previously thought with new figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) showing that a record 1,338 were killed across the continent last year – 33 higher than earlier estimates.

This is the highest level since the current poaching crisis began in 2008 and takes the number of African rhinos killed since then to at least 5,940.

“The extensive poaching for the illegal trade in horn continues to undermine the rhino conservation successes made in Africa over the last two decades,” said Mike Knight, Chair of IUCN’s African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG), which just concluded its biennial meeting.

However, increased law enforcement effort and expenditure in recent years have coincided with a slowing down in the rate of increase of poaching from 2013-2015. Over the last two years, poaching has declined in Kenya and, for the first time since 2008, the number of rhinos poached in the major range state, South Africa, fell slightly last year.

“The decline of rhino poaching rates in Kenya and their stabilization in South Africa shows that concerted conservation efforts based upon strong political will and increased expenditure can work,” said Jo Shaw, WWF-SA Rhino Program Manager. “But the alarming increases in poaching in Namibia and Zimbabwe show that this does not stop the international criminal gangs behind the killing – they simply shift their focus and target rhinos in other countries.”

And these countries and their rangers cannot stem the poaching on their own.

“Rangers are risking their lives saving rhinos on a daily basis but their bravery is not enough: countries must also provide them with the best available tools and training,” said Shaw. “But it’s not just about stopping the poaching, customs officers and police in trafficking and consumer countries need to be just as committed to ending the illegal trade as Africa’s rangers.”

The continued poaching has impacted on rhino numbers. According to the experts who met recently in South Africa, numbers of the more numerous white rhino appear to have leveled off on the continent, with 2015 numbers provisionally estimated at between 19,682 and 21,077 – representing no statistically significant change from 2012.

Meanwhile, the critically endangered black rhino has fared slightly better with continental numbers now estimated at between 5,042 and 5,455 – representing an increase of 2.9% per annum since 2012. However, poaching has still reduced growth in black rhino numbers below the usual target of 5% per annum.

“Despite some encouraging signs in Kenya and South Africa, another record year for rhino poaching in Africa shows that the international criminal gangs still have the upper hand,” said Elisabeth McLellan, WWF Head, Wildlife Crime Initiative, who is currently attending a wildlife demand reduction conference in Hong Kong.

“It also highlights that enhanced anti-poaching and anti-trafficking efforts are not enough – we also have to focus on reducing demand in Vietnam and China. Innovative campaigns are being targeted at key consumer groups but we urgently need governments to take enforcement action against rhino horn buyers and sellers to stop the illegal trade.”

It is also vital that other pivotal countries on the illegal rhino horn trade chain, such as Mozambique, take extra measures. And while there is certainly room for improvement, Mozambique has made some recent progress, including increasing collaboration with neighboring Kruger National Park, tightening its legislation, strengthening penalties and entering into bilateral agreements.

The IUCN Group remains hopeful that proposed new laws with increased penalties for poaching and trafficking will be passed soon and then stringently enforced. Mozambican progress in implementing its National Ivory and Rhino Action plan is also being followed closely; with the country due to report back to CITES in September on its progress.

Wildlife crime is just one form of organized criminal activity undertaken by powerful transnational crime syndicates that also traffic in drugs, weapons and people. These criminals are now widely recognized as a global challenge and threat to national security.

Such networks control much of the illegal trade in wildlife, destabilizing communities and countries and corrupting government officials and structures. There is worrying evidence of the increasing involvement of Chinese citizens along with nationals from South East Asian countries like Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, as well as North Korea, in the illicit trade in rhino horn.

“Government agencies in rhino range states as well as key trafficking countries need to work together to share lessons learned and exchange information on those involved in rhino crimes if they are to combat the transnational crime networks driving the poaching crisis,” said Shaw