Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennSeptember 17-18 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 89
Kaneohe, Oahu – 82
Kahului, Maui – 89
Hilo, Hawaii – 86
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87
Temperatures early Tuesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 5 a.m. hour:
Lihue, Kauai – 78F
Hilo, Hawaii – 71
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Tuesday morning:
0.40 HANALEI RIVER, KAUAI
0.55 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.04 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
3.37 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
1.28 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1029 millibar high pressure system located far NNE of Hawaii. This high pressure system has a ridge of high pressure extending WSW to the north and NW of Hawaii. This pressure configuration will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing…locally stronger and gusty in those locally windiest areas. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.
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.
Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean.
Satellite and Radar 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.
The famous coconut palm trees of Hawaii
Photo Credit:: flickr.com
The trade winds have become blustery now, strong enough in fact that the NWS forecast office in Honolulu has raised small craft advisory flags over the major channels in the southern part of the state…in addition to Maalaea Bay on Maui, and the leeward waters around the Big Island. Weather maps show a 1029 millibar high pressure system located far to the NNE of the islands Monday. The latest computer forecast models show the winds remaining stronger than normal all week, then easing back and becoming softer during the upcoming weekend. Wind speeds were exceeding 40 mph at South Point on the Big Island Monday afternoon…with many of the windiest places gusting to well over 30 mph.
The long lasting upper low pressure system is now far enough away to the NW of Hawaii, that it’s long lasting influence is now finished. This past weekend was much cloudier than usual, with showers most generous on Saturday. Much of the cloudiness Sunday was due to a considerable amount of cirrus clouds from Molokai down through the Big Island. The bulk of the cirrus clouds are gone now, although we may see those sun dimming clouds returning very soon, blown in our direction by the strong winds high in the atmosphere. Whatever showers that are left around now will fall along the windward sides, and then over the Kona slopes perhaps during the late afternoon or evening hours.
It’s Monday morning here in the islands, as I update this last paragraph of today’s narrative. Well, as mentioned in the paragraphs above, the trade winds will be with us this week as our major weather influence. At the same time, the overlying atmosphere will be quite dry and stable, thanks to high pressure aloft over and around the Hawaiian Islands…making for relatively dry weather. Although, anytime the trade winds are blowing, there’s always that chance of showers arriving along the windward sides. Then too, the Kona slopes on the Big Island are famous for afternoon or evening showers during a trade wind episode. The latest forecast models show another upper level low pressure system arriving to the NW of Kauai after mid-week…which could enhance our incoming trade wind showers Thursday and Friday. ~~~ Since we’re still involved in the late summer of the year, we are still active in the 2007 hurricane season. Looking over into the eastern Pacific, there isn’t anything happening at the moment, although there are a few areas that may flair-up into a tropical depression over the next couple of days. Here in the central Pacific, there are no spinning storms, although there is a tropical disturbance located about 650 miles SE of the Big Island, although if it were to spin up into a tropical depression, it would be slow to develop. ~~~ A large batch of high cloudiness is again moving over the islands, as shown in this satellite image. I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with your next weather narrative, I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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