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

86 – 78  Lihue, Kauai
86 – 78  Honolulu, Oahu
89 – 78  Molokai AP
91 – 72  Kahului AP, Maui – record high Saturday was 94…back in 1951
87 – 77  Kona AP
85 – 73  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

4.54  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.98  Punaluu Stream, Oahu
 0.25  Molokai
0.06  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
1.25  Puu Kukui, Maui
3.06  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph)…Saturday evening:

28  Port Allen, Kauai
50  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
29  Molokai
28  Lanai
35  Kahoolawe
39  Maalaea Bay, Maui
32  South Point, 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.


Aloha Paragraphs

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An early season cold front well to our north, which won’t reach us…along with lots of active thunderstorms to our south

 

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Thunderstorms remain in our vicinity, dynamic for the time being, prompted by the warm ocean water, and upper air cold air…fueling convection.

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Cloudy…thunderstorms remain active nearby

 

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Showers around, mostly offshore…a few are generous – Looping radar image


Small Craft Advisory…windiest coasts and channels Maui County and the Big Island

 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Gusty trades…a little lighter as we push into the new week. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a moderately strong high pressure system to our north-northeast, with another similar cell far to our north-northwest. We can expect gusty trade winds through Sunday, then a touch lighter as we get into Monday and Tuesday. As these very late summer breezes pick up now, the muggy conditions of late will give way further, with more normal humidity levels. At this point, I don’t see any end to the trade winds, which will blow right through the end of this 2016 summer season…right on into the first couple days of autumn. As we reach Friday into next weekend, we may see the trade winds diminish in strength…as the old circulation of former tropical cyclone Orlene moves by to our north.

The threat of flash flooding has diminished, although there could still be a few heavy showers… especially along the windward sides and around the mountains. The latest forecast suggests that the recent area of tropical moisture will gradually move away Sunday. Drier conditions and a more stable airmass will return…continuing on into the new week ahead. However, as usual, when the trade winds are blowing, there’s always the likelihood of showers being carried into our windward coasts and slopes. The leeward beaches should be in good shape, with generally fine weather conditions. Looking ahead to next Friday and the weekend, we may see some increase in afternoon showers.

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

Marine environment details:  A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in place for the typically windy waters around the Big Island and Maui, as well as the Kaiwi Channel and waters north of Maui County…due to the strong easterly trade winds being accelerated around island terrain. Sunday, only the typically windy waters around the Big Island and Maui should remain under the SCA, which was extended through Monday afternoon. The SCA may need to be extended into mid week.

A northwest swell has peaked, and will gradually decline through Monday, with no other significant northwest swells due through the rest of the new week. The fresh to strong trade winds will maintain wind swell along the east shores, followed by a gradual decline during the work week. South shores will see mainly small south-southwest swells this week…with a chance for slightly larger swell Tuesday and Wednesday.

Friday Evening Film: All of my movie viewing friends or off the island now, so I’ll go see one alone this time. I’ve picked the new one called Snowden, starring Tom Wilkinson, Nicolas Cage, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans, Timothy Olyphant, Joely Richardson and Melissa Leo…among others. The synopsis, Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone, who brought Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Wall Street and JFK to the big screen, tackles this fascinating true story. Snowden, the politically-charged, pulse-pounding thriller reveals the incredible untold personal story of Edward Snowden, the polarizing figure who exposed shocking illegal surveillance activities by the NSA…and became one of the most wanted men in the world. He is considered a hero by some, and a traitor by others. No matter which you believe, the epic story of why he did it, who he left behind, and how he pulled it off makes for one of the most compelling films of the year.

This was the opening night for Snowden, and it played in the largest theater of the megaplex. Many of the seats were taken, although it wasn’t by any means a packed house. The basic premise that I took away, if we’re to believe it, is that the Government is electronically spying on us at every turn. This computer spying appeared, at least in the film, to be rampant across our country. The audience is asked to contemplate some very serious questions. This wasn’t my favorite film of the year, although I will say that it was very thought provoking. I enjoyed it quite a lot, and in the end am giving it a B+ grade. It was interesting that I’d say about half the people in the theater clapped out loud at the end of the film…I don’t see this happening much! If you have any interest, here’s the trailer – large screen viewing is good.

 

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Full Moon…called the Harvest Moon in September


World-wide tropical cyclone activity…

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>>> Atlantic Ocean:

Tropical Depression 11L (Julia) remains active, located approximately 185 miles east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing.

Tropical Storm 12L (Karl) remains active, located approximately 1210 miles east of the Leeward Islands. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing

1.) A broad area of low pressure located a few hundred miles southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands is producing a large, but disorganized area of cloudiness and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form by mid-week while the low moves west-northwestward to northwestward across the eastern tropical Atlantic. Regardless of development, locally heavy rains and gusty winds are possible in the Cabo Verde Islands during the next couple of days.

Invest 96L, satellite image…and the computer model outlooks

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…40 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…70 percent

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean: No active tropical cyclones

>>> Gulf of Mexico: No active tropical cyclones

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:

Tropical Storm 17E (Paine) remains active, located approximately 385 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, a satellite image…and what the computer models are showi

1.)  An area of low pressure could form in a few days well south of southwestern Mexico. Some gradual development of this system is possible by the middle of next week while it moves slowly west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent

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: No active tropical cyclones

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Typhoon 18W (Malakas) remains active…located approximately 384 NM southwest of Sasebo, Japan. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map … a satellite image … and what the computer models are showing

>>> South Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones


>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: No active tropical cyclones

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


Interesting: Virgin Atlantic: Emissions from Steel Mills Could Fuel Airplanes – After five years of research and development, Virgin Atlantic and one of its clean-technology partners, Illinois-based LanzaTech, developed a source of jet fuel made of waste gases from steel mills. According to the companies, this new source of jet fuel passed extensive tests that both delivered on performance and promise to result in carbon emissions savings of 65 percent compared to conventional jet fuel.

This discovery comes at a time when airlines, seeking to mitigate what is a carbon-intensive business, have long dabbled with jet fuel blended with algae and other biofuels. The Dutch carrier KLM experimented with algae fuel blends, has flown transatlantic flights using blends of kerosene and cooking oil, and is still apparently committed to sourcing these fuels when available. Alaska Airlines also considered using recycled cooking oil to reduce its carbon emissions. Earlier this year, United kicked off flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles using a biofuel-conventional blend. Aviation fuel using feedstock from Brazilian sugarcane is also touted as an option.

But the problem with the development of more sustainable jet fuel boils down to one word: scale. A blend of 5, 10 or even 50 percent sounds impressive. But airlines are still struggling to get a seat on the carbon-reduction bandwagon – and air travel is still on the rise worldwide. The struggle with expanding capacity for fuels such as algae-based oils is one reason why one giant in the industry, Solazyme, transitioned away from a focus on biofuels, rebranded itself as TerraVia, and now sees foods made from algae as its cash cow.

Virgin Atlantic and LanzaTech suggest they have a more scaleable option. LanzaTech’s process involves capturing carbon monoxide gas from steel mills and other carbon-intensive industries. That carbon monoxide is then collected and fermented into alcohol, which can eventually be transformed into ethanol feedstock. The companies say each gallon of that ethanol can be converted into a half gallon of jet fuel, while reducing emissions from steel mills by up to a third.

Some say this does not really solve the carbon emissions problem, as emissions from one dirty industry are simply collected and burned off by another. But LanzaTech estimates that 15 billion gallons of jet fuel could be produced should this technology scale, enough to meet almost 20 percent of the global aviation industry’s fuel requirements.

The first phase generated 1,500 gallons of jet fuel. To put those numbers in context, a Boeing 747 consumes 1 gallon of fuel per second. (Do the math and compare airplane vs. automobile mileage, and you could argue that flying by air is more efficient than driving by car given the number of passengers.) So, we are still left with that pesky question of scale, as this is only enough fuel to fly a puddle jumper from a Central Valley town to a larger California air hub.

Nevertheless, innovation by the likes of Virgin Atlantic and LanzaTech is more than just being “sustainable” or wowing stakeholders. This is another step as scientists and entrepreneurs find ways to create fuel that has is more efficient and with a reduced impact on the planet.