August 2-3 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday afternoon:
Lihue, Kauai – 86
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 90
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-kona – 85
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level, and on the taller mountains at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon:
Kahului, Maui – 87F
Barking Sands, Kauai – 75
Haleakala Crater- 52F (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 46 (near 14,000 feet on the Big Island)
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Saturday afternoon:
0.28 Port Allen, Kauai
0.42 Waianae Valley, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.03 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.35 West Wailuaiki, Maui
1.04 Pahala, Big Island
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing high pressure systems stretched out to the northwest through northeast of Hawaii. At the same time, we have a trough of low pressure just to the north of Hawaii, which is acting to slow down our local trade winds through Sunday…which will start to pick up again later Monday.
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. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.
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 weather conditions.
Aloha Paragraphs
Kona sunset
Photo Credit: flickr.com
Our local trade winds will remain active Sunday, but not be as strong as earlier in the week…then strengthen again into the new week ahead. A trough of low pressure, located just to the northwest of the Hawaiian Islands, is interrupting the normally stronger early August trade wind flow. Rather than the moderate to fresh winds, we find light to locally moderate winds blowing at the moment. As this trough moves away Monday, our trade winds will begin to pick up, becoming rather blustery again Tuesday onward through the rest of the week. We have no advisories in our coastal or channel waters now, although small craft advisory flags will be needed during the new week…especially during the second half of the week, when they get especially strong and gusty.
This trough of low pressure, with its associated cold air aloft, will keep our overlying atmosphere unstable…with some locally heavy showers locally. There will a few windward showers, which will fall during the night and early morning hours for the most part. The daytime heating of the islands, combined with the instability, will trigger afternoon clouds over and around the mountains…particularly in the leeward areas from Molokai up the chain to Kauai. There’s a good chance that some of these convective afternoon cumulus clouds may be quite generous, or even down right heavy here and there. As the leftover moisture from former eastern Pacific tropical cyclone Genevieve arrives later Sunday, there may be increased showers from that source as well…although most likely just on the Big Island, and perhaps east Maui.
A few of the various computer models have recently shown that a tropical system may develop to the east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands by Monday or Tuesday. At this point, we could say that an area of disturbed weather may form, which several of the computer models are showing strengthening into a tropical depression. If this were to happen, it would pass south of the Hawaiian Islands later next Friday through Saturday. The most likely influence it would have, would be to enhance our local trade winds, making them stronger and gusty for a few days. If the northern fringe of moisture from this system were extensive enough, we could see some increase in showers for the Big Island, and perhaps Maui. This tropical disturbance hasn’t formed yet, so we will be watching to see whether the models have a good reading on this over the next few days. Here’s a link to this suspect area, look for that cluster of thunderstorms near 10N, and 135W.
Friday evening after work, I went to see the new film The Dark Knight (2008). This highly rated film stars Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Heath Ledger (who is now deceased), Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman, among others. This film is being described as an action adventure, with crime and gangster elements. In a nutshell, the Caped Crusader (Batman) returns, protecting Gotham City from the mad criminal mastermind, The Joker. This film was a long drawn out thriller, huge in fact, which I enjoyed very much. It is rather dark, but nothing nearly as disturbing as last weeks X-Files film. Many of my friends gave it A and A+ ratings, and I would have to agree, it definitely qualifies as an A film in my book as well. Here’s a trailer for this much talked about film.
~~~ It’s early Saturday evening as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. It was a great day upcountry here in Kula, Maui, with a sunny morning giving way to a partly cloudy afternoon. At the moment, between 5 and 6, there are a few light sprinkles falling, or perhaps in the strictest terms could be called a brief light shower. My wind chimes are singing sweetly, not to loudly, like they can on a windy day, but then again, not silent either. I’m still digesting the Batman film of last evening, and relishing the big, big story that it was. One of the interesting aspects, albeit with a sad edge, was watching the Joker, definitely one of the main characters in the film, played brilliantly by Health Ledger…knowing that he had recently passed away. At any rate, I hope you have a great Saturday night wherever you happen to be hanging out! I’ll be back Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise. Aloha for now…Glenn.
A couple of Saturday night/Sunday music video’s:
Across the Universe…The Beatles
Across the Universe…NASA/JPL – The Beatles
Imagine…John Lennon
Stand by Me…John Lennon
Woman…John Lennon
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