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

81 – 68  Lihue, Kauai
82 – 70  Honolulu, Oahu
83 – 67  Molokai
88 – 64  Kahului AP, Maui – record high temperature Tuesday was 89…set back in 1978
82 – 70  Kona Int’l AP
83 – 65  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.12  Kapahi, Kauai
0.11  Maunawili, Oahu
 0.00  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.01  Hana AP, Maui
0.64  Lower Kahuku, Big Island

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

13  Moloaa Dairy, Kauai
16  Wheeler AAF, Oahu
12  Molokai
 10  Lanai
23  Kahoolawe
22  Maalaea Bay, Maui
20  South Point, Big Island

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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Low pressure systems to our north…are racing west to east

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An area of thunderstorms…are well north of Hawaii

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Clear to partly cloudy…a few cloudy areas

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A few showers locally – Looping radar image

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Broad brush overview: Mainly light winds and dry conditions can be expected through Wednesday, as a ridge of high pressure lies just north of the state. A weak front will move across the smaller islands late Thursday through Friday, then reach the Big Island Saturday. Showers will accompany the frontal passage, mostly affecting north and northeast facing slopes. High pressure will build north of the area in the wake of the front…with a dry trade wind weather pattern returning.

Details: Low cloud motion across most of the area indicates a light east to southeasterly flow in the island vicinity. This is due to an east-west oriented surface ridge located just north of the area. These light easterlies will gradually thin out some of the vog going forward, which has been plaguing the islands the past several days. This light easterly flow is expected to continue Wednesday, however winds will be light enough for local land and sea breezes to occur.

A weak cold front will approach the area from the northwest, pushing the surface ridge to the east-southeast, with winds remaining rather light. This next front is forecast to reach Kauai late Thursday or Thursday night. The front will then gradually move down across Oahu late Thursday night and early Friday, Maui County later in the day Friday…before reaching the Big Island Saturday. The front will be accompanied by some passing showers, especially along north and northeast facing slopes.

Looking ahead: A much drier atmosphere will follow in the front’s wake, with lower humidity levels as well. High pressure will then dominate our weather for the first half of next week. Moderate trade winds can be expected across the area. The airmass will be rather dry and stable, so shower activity will remain rather limited, with just some brief passing light showers over windward areas for the most part.

Here’s a wind profile of the Pacific Ocean – Closer view of the islands / Here’s the vog forecast animation / Here’s the latest weather map

Marine environment details: The west-northwest swell that peaked Monday is steadily trending down today, which will continue to lower through Wednesday. Surf along exposed north and west facing beaches will reflect this trend, and remain below advisory levels through mid-week. A small reinforcing swell out of the same direction, will fill in Thursday night and hold through Friday. Surf and seas across the area will remain below advisory levels.

The latest model guidance depicts a broad storm force low generating a west-northwest swell over our local waters by the end of the upcoming weekend.

A moderate north-northeast swell will fill in across our local waters late Friday and persist through the weekend. Surf along east facing shores may near or reach advisory levels.

Local winds will remain in the light to moderate range through mid-week as a weak ridge of high pressure remains over the area (land and sea breezes possible over portions of smaller islands through Thursday). Winds over the channels between Maui and the Big Island are forecast to remain slightly stronger through this time. High pressure will build north of the state later in the week into the weekend, pushing a weak cold front moving through the area Thursday night through Saturday. This will result in moderate to strong trades through the weekend.

 

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Gradually diminishing vog (volcanic haze)

Southern California Weather Summary: Above normal temperatures with fair skies will continue away from the coast, with patchy fog and low clouds at times near the coast through Friday. A low pressure trough aloft gradually building into the region Saturday through Monday. Increasing onshore flow, and increasing middle and high level clouds will support several degrees of cooling each day, with near or below normal temperatures expected by Monday. Rain and mountain snow showers is becoming more likely sometime late Monday through Wednesday. Additional precipitation is possible later in the week.

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Higher clouds moving into Southern California

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Low clouds and thick fog along the immediate coast…and offshore



World-wide tropical cyclone activity


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>>> Atlantic Ocean: The 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean: The 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st

>>> Gulf of Mexico: The 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st

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 2017 hurricane season begins May 15th

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

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 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st

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 cyclone


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

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


Interesting: Spiders Eat 400-800 Million Tons of Prey Every Year – It has long been suspected that spiders are one of the most important groups of predators of insects. Zoologists at the University of Basel and Lund University in Sweden have now shown just how true this is – spiders kill astronomical numbers of insects on a global scale. The scientific journal The Science of Nature has published the results.

With more than 45,000 species and a population density of up to 1,000 individuals per square meter, spiders are one of the world’s most species-rich and widespread groups of predators. Due to their secretive lifestyle – many spiders are nocturnal or live well camouflaged in vegetation – it was previously difficult to demonstrate their ecological role, but zoologists at the University of Basel and Lund University (Sweden) have now used calculations to conclude that spiders indeed have an enormous ecological impact as natural enemies of insects.

Spiders kill vast numbers of insects

The researchers used two calculation methods based on different models, which consistently showed that the global spider population (with a weight of around 25 million tons) wipes out an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey every year. More than 90% of that prey is insects and springtails (Collembola). Furthermore, large tropical spiders occasionally prey on small vertebrates (frogs, lizards, snakes, fish, birds, and bats) or feed on plants. The large range of the global prey kill estimate is due to the fact that rates of prey kill can vary widely within specific ecosystems, and these variations must be taken into account for ecological projections.

Compare this to the fact that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the worldwide human population consumes around 400 million tons of meat and fish every year. The spider’s eating habits can even be compared to those of the whales (Cetacea) in the world’s oceans, which eat an estimated 280-500 million tons of prey a year.

The particular importance of spiders in forests and grasslands

The zoologists also showed that spiders kill many times more insects in forests and grasslands than in other habitats. Spiders in these areas catch huge numbers of forest and grassland pests, whereas spiders in desert regions, in the Arctic tundra and in annual crops kill fewer insects in comparison. The spiders’ impact is lower in agricultural areas because these are intensively managed areas that offer unfavorable living conditions for spiders.

“Our calculations let us quantify for the first time on a global scale that spiders are major natural enemies of insects. In concert with other insectivorous animals such as ants and birds, they help to reduce the population densities of insects significantly,” says Martin Nyffeler from the University of Basel, lead author of the study. “Spiders thus make an essential contribution to maintaining the ecological balance of nature,” he adds.