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

81 – 69  Lihue, Kauai
86 – 69  Honolulu, Oahu
85 – 66  Molokai AP
82 – 66  Kahului AP, Maui
84 – 68  Kailua Kona
82 – 65  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

2.61  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.04  Hakipuu Mauka, Oahu
 0.00  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.23  Kula Branch Station, Maui
0.66  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

22  Port Allen, Kauai 
31  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu 
27  Molokai 
35  Lanai 
27  Kahoolawe 
32  Maalaea Bay, Maui  
31  South Point, Big Island  

Here’s a wind profile of the Pacific Ocean – Closer view of the islands

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (nearly 13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. This webcam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands, and at night whenever there’s a big moon shining down. Also, at night you will be able to see the stars — and the sunrise and sunset too — depending upon weather conditions.


Aloha Paragraphs

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A low pressure system continues spinning in the area west-southwest of Kauai

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This low pressure system continues to move away

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The rainy clouds associated with this departing low pressure system, are well offshore to the southwest…replaced by high and middle level clouds

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A few showers over the offshore waters for the most part – Looping radar image


Small Craft Advisory…Oahu leeward waters, Kaiwi Channel, Maui County windward waters


~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Trade winds will move over the state…and continue into the Christmas Holiday weekend. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a rather strong, near 1035 millibar high pressure system located far northeast. At the same time, we have a low pressure system to the west, with an associated trough of low pressure now offshore to the west the state, which are both losing their influence over the island chain. As the low pressure cell dissipates over the open ocean to our west, the trade winds are filling back into our area from the east. They will become the primary weather influence, and are expected to become locally stronger and gusty through this week into next week.

Following on the heels of the recent episode of unsettled weather, we’ll find some windward showers arriving, brought in on the returning trade wind flow. We’ll finally see a more typical trade wind weather pattern, with a drying trend into Tuesday. As we enter the middle of the week, we’ll likely find some increase in windward showers, with a few meandering over into the leeward sides locally. The outlook for the Christmas Holiday weekend shows that this trade wind weather pattern will remain well established over the Aloha State, along with the usual off and on periods of windward showers…continuing into next week.

Marine environment details: As the surface low pressure system moves further away from the main Hawaiian Islands today…high pressure will build in from the east. Wind related Small Craft Advisories may affect other marine zones toward mid-week…with the moderately strong surface high pressure cell moving slightly closer to the islands from the northeast. The high is expected to weaken on Friday causing the trades to lose strength slightly. A new north-northwest swell is forecast to arrive late tonight and Tuesday…peaking on Wednesday.

 

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Improving weather with windward showers returning with time

 

World-wide tropical cyclone activity…with storms showing up when active


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>>> Atlantic Ocean: The 2016 hurricane season has ended

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean: The 2016 hurricane season has ended

>>> Gulf of Mexico: The 2016 hurricane season has ended

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 2016 hurricane season has ended

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 2016 hurricane season has ended

Here’s the NOAA 2016 Hurricane Season Summary for the Central Pacific Basin

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

>>> South Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones


>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: 

Tropical Cyclone 02 is active South Indian Ocean, headed towards the coast of Australia. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, with a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing.

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


Interesting: Researchers Solve Mystery Of Historic 1952 London Fog And Current Chinese Haze – Few Americans may be aware of it, but in 1952 a killer fog that contained pollutants covered London for five days, causing breathing problems and killing thousands of residents.  The exact cause and nature of the fog has remained mostly unknown for decades, but an international team of scientists that includes several Texas A&M University-affiliated researchers believes that the mystery has been solved and that the same air chemistry also happens in China and other locales.

In December of 1952, the fog enveloped all of London and residents at first gave it little notice because it appeared to be no different from the familiar natural fogs that have swept over Great Britain for thousands of years.

But over the next few days, conditions deteriorated, and the sky literally became dark.  Visibility was reduced to only three feet in many parts of the city, all transportation was shut down and tens of thousands of people had trouble breathing.  By the time the fog had lifted on Dec. 9, at least 4,000 people had died and more than 150,000 had been hospitalized. Thousands of animals in the area were also killed.

Recent British studies now say that the death count was likely far higher – more than 12,000 people of all ages died from the killer fog.  It has long been known that many of those deaths were likely caused by emissions from coal burning, but the exact chemical processes that led to the deadly mix of fog and pollution have not been fully understood over the past 60 years.

The 1952 killer fog led to the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1956 by the British Parliament and is still considered the worst air pollution event in the European history.

Through laboratory experiments and atmospheric measurements in China, the team has come up with the answers.

“People have known that sulfate was a big contributor to the fog, and sulfuric acid particles were formed from sulfur dioxide released by coal burning for residential use and power plants, and other means,” Zhang says.

“But how sulfur dioxide was turned into sulfuric acid was unclear. Our results showed that this process was facilitated by nitrogen dioxide, another co-product of coal burning, and occurred initially on natural fog. Another key aspect in the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfate is that it produces acidic particles, which subsequently inhibits this process. Natural fog contained larger particles of several tens of micrometers in size, and the acid formed was sufficiently diluted. Evaporation of those fog particles then left smaller acidic haze particles that covered the city.”

The study shows that similar chemistry occurs frequently in China, which has battled air pollution for decades.  Of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, China is home to 16 of them, and Beijing often exceeds by many times the acceptable air standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“The difference in China is that the haze starts from much smaller nanoparticles, and the sulfate formation process is only possible with ammonia to neutralize the particles,” Zhang adds.

“In China, sulfur dioxide is mainly emitted by power plants, nitrogen dioxide is from power plants and automobiles, and ammonia comes from fertilizer use and automobiles. Again, the right chemical processes have to interplay for the deadly haze to occur in China. Interestingly, while the London fog was highly acidic, contemporary Chinese haze is basically neutral.”

Zhang says China has been working diligently over the past decade to lessen its air pollution problems, but persistent poor air quality often requires people to wear breathing masks during much of the day. China’s explosive industrial and manufacturing growth and urbanization over the past 25 years have contributed to the problem.

“A better understanding of the air chemistry holds the key for development of effective regulatory actions in China,” he adds.

“The government has pledged to do all it can to reduce emissions going forward, but it will take time,” he notes.  “We think we have helped solve the 1952 London fog mystery and also have given China some ideas of how to improve its air quality. Reduction in emissions for nitrogen oxides and ammonia is likely effective in disrupting this sulfate formation process.”

The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Robert A. Welch Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, a US National Science Foundation Fellowship, a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship, and a collaborative research grant between Texas A&M and China.