June 11-12 2006

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Sunday:

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

Temperatures early Monday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:

Lihue, Kauai – 77
Hilo airport – 67

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Monday morning) on each of the major islands, including:

0.54 MOUNT WAIALEALE. KAUAI
0.02 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.09 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.08 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1025 millibar high pressure system located to the NE of our islands. This high pressure cell’s ridge will remain to our north and NW, keeping our local trade wind speeds in the moderately strong category through Tuesday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those funny weather symbols mean.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of near 14,000 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two webcams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.

Satellite Images – To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with the Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around the state during the day and night. This next image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible image. This next image shows a larger view of the Pacific…giving perspective to the wider ranging cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean…out from the islands. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Tropical Cyclone Activity – The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30…while the central Pacific runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map can be found by clicking here. For the central Pacific, the latest information can be found by clicking here.

Aloha Paragraphs


Full moon rising

The trade winds are back in force now in the Hawaiian Islands. The high pressure ridge, which has been sitting just to our north, causing the lighter winds during the last week…is now moving northward. As this ridge migrates northward out of the subtropics, back into the middle latitudes, where it would normally be this time of year…our trade wind speeds will pick back to seasonal levels. The very warm afternoon temperatures at sea level, which have been rising into the upper 80F’s lately, will be manageable…with our cooling and refreshing trade wind breezes blowing.

The latest computer forecast models suggest that these more moderate trade winds will prevail through the next week at least. Climatology would lead us to believe that these trade winds would continue to blow through the rest of this month in fact. As usual, the trade wind breezes will blow most strongly during the late morning through late afternoon hours. After sunset, and through the early morning hours, the winds typically calm down quite a bit in most areas. The valleys, and also through the major channels between the islands, often exhibit the strongest trade wind speeds…which will be getting even stronger Wednesday.

The overlying atmosphere, through the last week at least, has been very dry and stable. This has helped to limit precipitation greatly. As a matter of fact, almost all rain gauges during the last seven days have remained completely devoid of moisture. As the trade winds get a notch or two stronger now, we’ll likely see a few more showers start to pass over the windward coasts and slopes…most often during the night and early morning hours. The rainfall pattern will remain on the dry side during the next week though. As I’ve mentioned many times lately, June is usually the driest month of the year here in the Aloha state.

It’s early Sunday evening here in Kula, Maui. It was another great day here in the islands, with a smattering of windward showers, riding in on the strengthening trade winds. The leeward sides had plenty of warm to very warm sunshine beaming down, which was great for all the beach goers. The June full moon is happening today, which will be lighting the skies of Hawaii, at least outside those locally cloudy areas. Monday is a state holiday, so that state workers, including the folks at the Maui Community College, will be off work for the day. There won’t be a TV weather show Monday, although I will be working as usual at the Pacific Disaster Center. I’ll be able to get up a little later as a result, which will be nice. I hope you have a great Sunday night! Aloha for now…Glenn.

I’m keeping the advertising links section open for a little while longer. Many of the current businesses (on the left hand margin of all pages on this website) are choosing to continue, although a couple have dropped out for this next three month period…replaced by new businesses. The cost of placing a hot link to your business is $50 per month, with a three month minimum. This keeps your link highlighted (on all pages) for three months at just $150. There are a few available slots available now. Please let me know of your interest by emailing me, or replying in the box below. I can put a link to your business the very same day you let me know you want it. Thanks…Glenn.