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

88 – 75  Lihue, Kauai
88 – 78  Honolulu, Oahu 
87 – 77  Molokai AP
90 – 74  Kahului AP, Maui – record Friday 94…back in 1997
90 – 77  Kona AP
84 – 72  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.37  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.87  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.58  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
1.66  West Wailuaiki, Maui
1.01  Papaikou Well, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph)…Friday night:

28  Port Allen, Kauai
55  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
29  Molokai
31  Lanai 
31  Kahoolawe
18  Hana, Maui
46  Kealakomo, 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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Category 2 Hurricane Lester is moving by to the north of the state…and is on a gradual weakening trend

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Hurricane Lester is still pretty tightly wound…with a very faint eye

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/floaters/13E/imagery/vis-animated.gif
Lester’s eye is gone, which is a sign of weakening…and the system is being stretched out by stronger upper level wind shear

 

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Showers generally along the windward sides…although not exclusively – Looping radar image

 

High Surf Warning…for east shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island

Small Craft Advisory…Kauai NW waters, Kauai windward waters, Kauai leeward waters, Kauai Channel, Oahu leeward waters, Big Island windward waters

 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

I’d like to point out that we have inclement weather conditions on the horizon, and I may lose power, which would cut off my ongoing weather updates…just so you know.

We’ll find weather changes starting as we move through the weekend. Winds will increase from the north over the Big Island and Maui County Saturday, and then over Oahu Saturday afternoon…and Kauai Saturday night. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a moderately strong near 1031 millibar high pressure system northeast of Hawaii. In contrast, hurricane Lester’s central pressure is a much lower 978 millibars. Locally strong and gusty trade winds will continue across parts of the state. 

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

There will be an increase in deep layer moisture…as the periphery of Lester moves over the eastern islands. We should see showers increase in coverage and intensity. Tropical moisture will overspread island chain…from east to west. This rainfall event could lead to flooding issues. Unsettled conditions are expected to continue through Sunday in association with Lester. Looking further ahead, as we get into Labor Day through Tuesday, Lester will be moving away from the state. This will result in improving conditions with a more typical trade wind pattern becoming established across the Aloha state. As we push into the middle and later part of next week, an upper level low pressure system will edge closer…which may prompt an increase in showers locally then.

Hurricane Lester will bring very large and damaging surf along east facing shores…which will likely be the most significant impact. The current forecast currently keeps the stronger winds and heaviest rains offshore.

HAZARDS AFFECTING THE ISLANDS:

SURF: Swells generated by Lester will cause large and dangerous surf across exposed shorelines of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend.

RAIN: Locally heavy showers or thunderstorms are possible this weekend as Lester passes north of the Hawaiian Islands.

Marine environment details:  Seas associated with Hurricane Lester at the exposed nearshore buoys have remained steady in the 10 to 15 ft range through the early morning hours. The Waimea buoy has recently climbed to a couple of feet above guidance over the past few hours. Expect this trend to persist as Lester passes just north of the islands today through early Sunday. In addition to the seas, a recent satellite pass depicted strong east-northeast winds over the Kauai and Oahu waters. A combination of winds and seas will continue to support dangerous marine conditions as Lester passes to the north. Winds and seas will quickly trend down Sunday through Monday, and a more typical trade wind pattern is expected to return through the upcoming week.

Warning-level surf along all exposed eastern facing shores from the Big Island to Kauai will continue through tonight before quickly trending down Sunday. Surf along north facing shores will near advisory-levels and will need to be monitored through this time. Coastal impacts from the surf will include beach erosion, potential for overwash onto roadways along the typically vulnerable sections of the coasts and life-threatening currents.

Two long-period southerly swells will fill in through the early to mid-week period next week. The second swell may near advisory levels along the southern shores by Wednesday.

 

The Numbers: I was just telling my Mom (Dorothy James…Long Beach, California), who by the way, is the proof reader of this website, about the number of page views that I’ve had over the last seven days. She was delighted and impressed, and suggested that I share them with you. So, during this seven day period, which of course covers Madeline and now the beginning of Lester, there have been 349,141 page impressions as of yesterday (Thursday). I wonder if by the end of the weekend, with Lester finally come and gone, we might make it up to 500,000? Wow, that would be half a million, and enough to let me know that there are a couple of you folks who are using this weather website. Oh, and by the way…Thank You Very Much!

Friday Evening Film: My movie viewing friend Jeff and I went to see the new film called Hell or High Water. The critics are giving it a huge grade, which is a little unusual. When I first saw the preview I immediately thought to myself, I wanna see this one. This film stars Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, Dale Dickey, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham, Katy Mixon, Buck Taylor, Melanie Papalia, and Marin Ireland…among many others. 

The synopsis: Texas brothers…Toby (Chris Pine), and Tanner (Ben Foster), come together after years divided, to rob branches of the bank threatening to foreclose on their family land. For them, the hold-ups are just part of a last-ditch scheme to take back a future that seemed to have been stolen from under them. Justice seems to be theirs, until they find themselves on the radar of Texas Ranger, Marcus (Jeff Bridges) looking for one last grand pursuit on the eve of his retirement, and his half-Comanche partner, Alberto (Gil Birmingham). As the brothers plot a final bank heist to complete their scheme, and with the Rangers on their heels, a showdown looms at the crossroads where the values of the Old and New West murderously collide.

I ended up seeing this great film with three other friends, and there were straight A’s across the board! Typically one or two of our group really likes something, and the others might not be nearly as taken. However this time, we all thought very highly of this modern western. It reminded me quite a bit of the Coen Brothers film No Country for Old Men, which I also liked very much. Every actor was rock solid, and the Texas scenery added a special sense of place, and lets not forget the perfect music tracks either. There was no lack of shooting, and driving along dusty back roads, and yes…plenty of bank robberies too. In sum, I’m so glad that riveting films like this come around, to kind of offset the other films that are just luke warm. If your inclined, here’s the trailer (full screen is best), and by the way…it ain’t no light weight piece of work!

 

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Major surf breaking along our east  facing beaches this weekend


World-wide tropical cyclone activity..

 

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>>> Atlantic Ocean:

Post-Tropical Cyclone 07L (Gaston) is dissipating in the Atlantic Ocean, located about a 160 miles to the northeast of the central Azores…here’s a satellite image – Final Advisory

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT07/refresh/AL0716W5+gif/203810W_sm.gif

Post-Tropical Cyclone Hermine) is dissipating over Atlantic Ocean, located about 80 miles southeast of Norfolk, Virginia…here’s a satellite image – Final Advisory

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT09/refresh/AL0916W5+gif/205108W_sm.gif

1.)  Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with a tropical wave located about 600 miles east of the Lesser Antilles has increased since yesterday. However, environmental conditions are only marginally conducive, and any development of this system should be slow to occur while it moves westward at 15 to 20 mph. This disturbance is expected to bring locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds to portions of the Lesser Antilles beginning later today through Sunday night.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…30 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:

1.)  An elongated area of low pressure continues to produce an extensive area of disorganized cloudiness and showers, extending several hundred miles south through southwest of the southern coast of Mexico. Upper-level winds are expected to become more conducive for development, and this area of disturbed weather is likely to consolidate and become a tropical depression on Sunday or Monday while it moves nearly parallel to the southwest coast of Mexico.

Regardless of development, gusty winds and heavy rains causing flash floods and mud slides are expected in coastal portions of the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit this weekend into early next week. Interests in these areas and Baja California Sur should monitor the progress of this disturbance.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…70 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent

2.)  A weak area of low pressure located about 1000 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula is producing a few showers and thunderstorms. Development of this system is not expected since the low is expected to be pulled eastward into the circulation of the larger tropical disturbance near the coast of Mexico later this weekend.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…10 percent

3.)  An area of low pressure could form in a few days about 1500 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Any development of this system should be slow to occur while the system moves little.

* 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:

Remnants of Madeline are dissipating, located about 605 miles west-southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii…here’s a satellite image – Last Advisory

Hurricane Lester remains active in the Pacific Ocean, located about 165 miles miles north-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii…here’s a satellite image…along with computer model are showing

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Typhoon 15W (Namtheun) remains active, located about 144 NM south of Sasebo, Japan…here’s the JTWC graphical track map, with 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: Meet a Surprising Plastic Alternative: Milk – What if you could have your packaging and eat it too? We’ve seen rice paper packaging on Japanese candies, but edible plastic? Thanks to researchers at the USDA, it’s not too far in the future.

And it’s not just an edible and environmentally-friendly plastic alternative; it’s actually better at keeping food fresh than petroleum-based plastics. It’ll be a few years before you see the material on shelves — don’t start chomping down just yet — but it represents a big revolution in the way we view food packaging.

Researchers are using casein, a protein found in milk, to make a flexible and very strong film — and they’re creatively calling it “casein-based film.”

There’s another food-based ingredient, too. Citrus pectin helps the material stay strong and flexible without dissolving.

And for all you vegans out there who aren’t thrilled at the thought of replacing petroleum — blech — with animal products — not great — I have good news for you: Researchers are working on making synthetic casein by cloning the necessary DNA and harnessing fermented yeast to produce it.

What a time to be alive.

So why is casein-based film so great?

For starters, it’s not made out of petroleum, which is a pretty big deal given how ubiquitous petroleum-based plastics are in the food packaging world.

Petroleum-based plastic may be sturdy and indestructible, but it’s also … indestructible. Well, almost. It takes hundreds of years for plastic to biodegrade, which is why it’s rapidly accumulating in the environment. We keep making it, using it and throwing it away.

Even with recycling efforts, it’s an uphill battle. Some cities and states are actually starting to crack down on the use of plastic products, especially plastic shopping bags.

These films break down quickly, if you don’t feel like eating them, and they’re made from renewable components. Better yet, the material is mostly protein, and it’s easy to add other nutrients.

Theoretically, your plastic wrap could also have nutritional value,  which might be especially useful in places where people have trouble getting the nutrition they need. If chowing down on largely flavorless plastic doesn’t sound that great, don’t worry — the researchers say they can add flavorings.

Here’s where things get even cooler, though.

One of the prime spoilers of food is oxygen, which is a little hard to avoid. The amount of oxygen that reaches food once it’s wrapped is dependent upon the pore size of the plastic. Petroleum-based plastics, as well as starch-based alternatives, don’t do a great job of keeping oxygen out — but these films do.

In fact, casein-based film is about 500 times better at keeping oxygen out, which could represent huge savings all along the supply chain.

One of the reasons food waste is such a significant problem is that it can be hard to prevent spoilage, especially with fresh fruits and vegetables — you know, like those cucumbers that come inexplicably wrapped in plastic, despite the fact that nature already gave them a perfectly good wrapper?

A product that reduces spoilage, offers nutritional value and breaks down readily if no one wants to have a nibble is a huge breakthrough for food science.

These films aren’t just handy for wrapping blocks of tofu. An aerosol version could be sprayed onto crisp, crunchy foods to keep them from getting stale and/or soggy — I’m looking at you, cereal. It may also have potential for single-serving food products and instant meals: Drop a sealed parcel of plastic-wrapped food into some hot water, stir and eat!