Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / July 7-8, 2015

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

85 – 76  Lihue, Kauai
89 – 76  Honolulu, Oahu
84 – 72  Molokai
86 – 74  Kahului, Maui
87 – 76  Kailua Kona
87 – 70  Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.12  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.29  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.20  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.04  Kahoolawe
0.31  Kula 1, Maui
1.07  Waiakea Uka, Big Island

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

21  Poipu, Kauai – NE
40  Kuaokala, Oahu – NNE
27  Molokai – E
30  Lanai – NE
29  Kahoolawe – NE
30  Maalaea Bay, Maui – N
39  Puu Mali, Big Island – NE

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live web cam on the summit of near 13,800 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. This web cam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon shining down during the night at times. Plus, during the nights you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise and sunset too… depending upon weather conditions.

Aloha Paragraphs

The east and central Pacific have active tropical disturbances…one of
which has recently become Tropical Depression 4E – and is moving
into our central Pacific Ocean
<more information below>

Mostly clear to partly cloudy conditions over the state, a batch of clouds
has reached Maui County and Oahu…reaching Kauai tonight –
Looping version

Showers mostly over the nearby ocean, with some over
the islands…especially over Oahu, heading towards
Kauai – looping radar image

Small Craft Wind Advisory…windiest coasts and
channels around Maui County and the Big Island

High Surf Advisory…South shores of all islands

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Our summertime trade winds are well established now…gaining a little more strength through the next two days. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a real-time wind profiler of the central Pacific. We find a moderately strong, near 1026 millibar high pressure system far to the north-northeast of the state…with an associated ridge extending down into the area well north of the islands. At the same time, there’s a trough of low pressure to the northwest…with a cold front just northwest of it. Meanwhile, there are numerous low pressure cells along the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) well to the south of Hawaii…moving more or less westward. Our trade winds will remain well established for the time being. Many of the computer models continue to insist that tropical depression 4E, or what will become tropical storm Ela soon, will move by to the northeast and north of the islands during the upcoming weekend…which would effectively cut off our trade winds then. The wind direction and strength of our local winds this weekend will depend upon how close, or far away this tropical system gets to the islands…stay tuned. At any rate, the trade winds will return early next week, sweeping away any leftover mugginess from our islands then.

As the trade winds continue to blow…there will be the usual off and on windward showers. During those times when the trade winds get stronger, there’s always that chance that a few showers will be carried over into the leeward sides on the smaller islands as well. Meanwhile, computer models continue to suggest rainy weather arriving over some parts of the state later this week. It appears that Friday into the weekend would have the greatest chance of a pronounced change in our local weather conditions. As this system, and it will be either a tropical depression or a tropical storm, moves by to our north, we’ll become very muggy, with showers and possible thunderstorms. I’ll keep an eye on this developing weather situation…stay tuned. I’ll also be back with more updates on all of the above and below, I hope you have a great Tuesday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

A tropical disturbance in the eastern Pacific…has become Tropical Depression 4E now. This area of disturbed weather was being referred to as Invest 96E. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) declared it to be a tropical cyclone, and it has moved across the 140W line of longtitude, so forecasting responsibility is being taken over by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) here in Hawaii. Here’s what the official CPHC graphical track map shows for its travels in our direction here in the islands. Here’s a satellite image, along the looping version. Here’s what the hurricane models are showing for this tropical cyclone.

Meanwhile, we have 2 tropical disturbances here in our Central Pacific as well. According to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC), there are showers and thunderstorms about 750 miles south-southeast of Hilo, on the Big Island…and another area located about 1100 miles south-southwest of Honolulu. Here’s a satellite image of these areas, one marked with a yellow X, the other with an orange X. By the way, I’m not worrying about either of these two tropical systems…as far as becoming a threat to the islands. Here’s a real time wind profiler, showing these two vortex’s, plus newly formed Tropical Depression 4E…the furthest eastern swirl.

Here on Maui…it’s 540am Tuesday morning, with mostly clear skies, along with some low clouds banked-up against the windward sides. At the same time, there’s some minor high cirrus clouds to the north of the island. The air temperature here in Kula, at my upcountry weather tower was 51.3 degrees, while it was 75 down at the Kahului airport, 73 out in Hana…and 45 up at the summit of the Haleakala Crater at near the same time. / Now at 1125am, it’s clear and sunny along our leeward beaches, with some showery clouds moving along our windward coasts and slopes.

– It’s now almost 2pm, and its cloudy with light rain…along with rather muggy conditions here in Kula. It’s 75 here at my weather tower, and 82 in Kapalua with light rain as well, while its 79 with showers in Hana, and 54 up at the summit of the Haleakala Crater.

– It’s now 530pm early this evening here in Kula, after several passing showers during the afternoon hours. At the moment, it’s become very foggy, with greatly restricted visibilities…so much for the sunset views.

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

>>> Atlantic Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

Here’s a satellite image of the Caribbean Sea…and the Gulf of Mexico

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea or Atlantic Ocean

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

>>> Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

1.)   An area of low pressure is expected to form several hundred miles south of the coast of southern Mexico later this week. Some development of this system is possible this weekend and early next week while it moves west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…medium…50 percent

2.)   An area of low pressure is expected to develop several hundred miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California Sur over the next couple of days. Gradual development of this system is possible through this weekend and into early next week while the low moves west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent

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:

Tropical Depression 4E remains active, as it moves across our central Pacific. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this strengthening tropical cyclone.

1.)  Showers and thunderstorms persist around a weak surface low located about 670 miles south-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii. This system remains disorganized, and environmental conditions do not appear to be favorable for significant development in this area during the next two days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours, low…10 percent

2.)  Showers and thunderstorms associated with an area of low pressure located about 1070 miles south-southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii have not shown significant development during the last 6 hours. Environmental conditions are expected to remain conducive for further development of this system as it moves slowly toward the north-northwest over the next couple of days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours, medium…60 percent

Elsewhere, no tropical cyclones are expected through the next two days

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Typhoon 09W (Chan-hom) remains active in the northwest Pacific. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image. Here’s what the GFS and NAVGEM computer models are showing.

Tropical storm 10W (Linfa) remains active in the South China Sea. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image. Here’s what the computer model are showing.

Typhoon 11W (Nangka) remains active in the northwest Pacific. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image. Here’s what the GEFS computer model is showing.

>>> South Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> North and South Indian Oceans: There are no active tropical cyclones

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

Interesting: How rain can enhance food safety – To protect consumers from food borne illness, produce farmers should wait 24 hours after a rain or irrigating their fields to harvest crops, according to new research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Rain or irrigation creates soil conditions that are more hospitable to Listeria monocytogenes, which when ingested may cause the human illness Listeriosis. Waiting to harvest crops reduces the risk of exposure to the pathogen, which could land on fresh produce.

Cornell scientists, along with other agricultural researchers from around the country, are conducting more food safety research in order to set rules, standards and guidelines for the Food Safety Modernization Act, which became law in 2011.

“We’re looking at the science that helps governmental entities, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and private entities create policies that keep our food supply safe,” said Daniel Weller, a doctoral student in the field of food science and the lead author of the new work, “Spatial and Temporal Factors Associated With an Increased Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in New York State Spinach Fields.” The other authors are Martin Wiedmann, Cornell’s Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety, and Laura Strawn, assistant professor at Virginia Tech.

Factors such as proximity of a field location to water and other landscape features also play important roles in the presence of Listeria. The researchers tested fields in a variety of locations throughout New York and found that after rains or irrigation, the chances of finding Listeria were 25 times greater. But, after the fields dried at least 24 hours, the chances of detecting Listeria dropped dramatically, to levels similar to baseline.

Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed rules allowing farmers to apply “wait periods” after application of irrigation water. This would allow for “potentially dangerous microbes to die off,” said the FDA.

Through a combination of weather data, GIS technology and data driven information, technology allows farmers and producers to take a systems approach managing food safety.

Said Wiedmann: “Current technology tools are improving food safety and increasing consumer confidence in food products.”