Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / May 5-6, 2018

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

80 – 68  Lihue, Kauai
85 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
79 – 73  Molokai AP
82 – 68  Kahului AP, Maui
85 – 76  Kailua Kona
83 – 72  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.36  Wainiha, Kauai
1.81  Punaluu Stream, Oahu
1.17  Molokai
0.18  Lanai
0.25  Kahoolawe
0.37  Ulupalakua, Maui
0.51  Waiaha, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Saturday evening:

24  Mana, Kauai
27  Kuaokala, Oahu
13  Molokai
17  Lanai
21  Kahoolawe
20  Maalaea Bay, Maui
18  PTA West, 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. Here’s the webcam for the Haleakala Crater on Maui. These webcams are 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

Jet Stream continues blowing over the islands

Multi-layered clouds stretched across the state

Partly to mostly cloudy skies over most of the islands

Just a few showers locally – Looping image

 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Broad Brush Overview: Yet another upper level trough of low pressure will push across the state, bringing clouds and moisture eastward towards the Big Island into Sunday. Off and on showers will develop ahead of this trough, with drying and clearing trends after the trough passes through each island. High pressure building across the ocean well north of the state, will bring north to northeast trade winds back down the island chain this weekend. Moderate to occasional stronger trade winds will persist through next week Friday, with enough instability aloft for higher shower chances along windward slopes of all the islands.

Details: Satellite imagery over the Hawaiian Islands continues to show an extensive band of high cirrus clouds, being carried over us on the long lasting sub-tropical jet stream, and a weakening upper level trough passing through our area. Light to moderate showers will continue across the state, as this trough axis passes through the islands. The best upper level support for these showers will remain well north of the islands…reducing chances for heavy showers and thunderstorms over our area. Due to these changes the Flash Flood Watch for Kauai, Niihau and Oahu has been cancelled as the threat for flash flooding has diminished.

Looking Ahead: As we move into the new week, moderate to locally strong trade winds will continue, with increased chances for showers across windward slopes of all islands. The moisture plume lingering near the Big Island may enhance windward shower activity across eastern Maui and the windward slopes of the Big Island Monday and Tuesday. Long range models continue to show a weak upper level low drifting over the islands Wednesday. Instability associated with this low aloft will likely weaken the upper level subsidence inversion…enough to prompt an increase in windward shower activity Wednesday through Friday.

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: There will be a series of small southerly swells this weekend, and on through most of next week. A new north-northwest swell is expected to arrive Sunday night, peak Monday, then lower gradually Monday night. A slightly larger north swell is expected to arrive Monday, peak Monday night and early Tuesday, then lower gradually Tuesday night and Wednesday. Based on latest model guidance, advisory level surf is a possibility during the peak of this swell. Another smaller north-northwest swell is expected during the Wednesday night through Friday time frame. Strengthening trade winds early in the new week will cause an increase in choppy surf along east facing shores.

Winds and seas will remain below Small Craft Advisory levels through early Sunday. Winds and seas are expected to rise later Sunday on through Monday, likely requiring a Small Craft Advisory over exposed coasts and channels early next week.

 

World-wide Tropical Cyclone activity

Here’s the Saturday Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) Weather Wall Presentation…covering a tropical disturbance being referred to as Invest 97W in the western Pacific Ocean

>>> Atlantic Ocean:

>>> Caribbean Sea:

>>> Gulf of Mexico:

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:

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:

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

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

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


Interesting: The southern part of Hawaii’s Big Island has been jolted by strong earthquakes, sputtering lava and toxic gas as magma shifted underneath a restless Kilauea volcano. The trifecta of natural threats forced residents to evacuate and prompted the closure of parks and college campuses on Friday.

Here’s a youtube video addressing this volcanic eruption

Police have blocked access to communities where lava is flowing, CBS News’ Carter Evans reported Saturday.

Multiple new vents, from which lava is spurting out of the ground, formed in the same residential neighborhood where molten rock first emerged Thursday. At midday, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck — the biggest of hundreds of quakes this week and the largest to strike the state in 43 years. It hit just an hour after another sizeable quake.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory spokeswoman Janet Babb said the earthquakes reflected the volcano adjusting to the shifting magma.

“The magma moving down the rift zones, it causes stress on the south flank of the volcano,” Babb said. “We’re just getting a series of earthquakes.” She said scientists were studying whether the quakes would affect the eruption.

Residents were also warned to watch out for dangerous levels of sulfuric gas. Volcano expert Paul Davis said the gas occurs during the melting process. “It’s sort of like you’ve injected ammonia into all your nose, into your breathing area, into your throat,” Davis told CBS News.

Meanwhile, the lava lake at Kilauea’s summit crater dropped significantly, suggesting the magma was moving eastward toward Puna, a mostly rural district of forests, papaya farms and lava fields left by past eruptions. Officials ordered more than 1,700 people out of Big Island communities near the lava, warning of the dangers of spattering hot rock and high levels of sulfuric gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems.

Julie Woolsey evacuated her home late Thursday as a volcanic vent, or an opening in the Earth’s surface where lava emerges, sprouted up on her street in the Leilani Estates neighborhood. “We knew we were building on an active volcano,” she said, but added that she thought the danger from lava was a remote possibility.

Officials say six fissures — each several hundred yard longs — have been confirmed in the Puna subdivision, CBS affiliate KGMB reports. And Hawaii County Civil Defense authorities have said the situation there continues to grow more dangerous. They issued a warning to households that choose not to follow mandatory orders to leave: “First responders may not be able to come to the aid of residents who refuse to evacuate.”

Big Island Mayor Harry Kim said residents could return to their homes as soon as the area is deemed safe.

“All of us have got to remember this is a tragedy on them and we have to work …. to minimize it as best as possible,” Kim said. “I’m from Puna so I am not going to be a hypocritical. That’s my home and I love Puna. There is no place to me more beautiful … and we know the hazards.”

KGMB reports that the extent of the damage isn’t yet known, but officials said at least two structures were significantly damaged and a number of roads have been covered in lava or severely cracked.

Local authorities held a community meeting with residents from lava affected areas Friday night at Pahoa High School.

State Sen. Russell Ruderman said he’s experienced many earthquakes, but the magnitude-5.4 temblor that hit first “scared the heck out of me.” Merchandise fell off the shelves in a natural food store he owns. When the larger quake followed, he said he felt strong shaking in Hilo, the island’s largest city that is roughly 45 minutes from the rural Puna area.

“We’re all rattled right now,” he said. “It’s one thing after another. It’s feeling kind of stressful out here.”

State officials didn’t report damage to roadways. Hawaii County Acting Mayor Wil Okabe said the larger quake cracked a beam in a county gymnasium in Hilo, forcing workers to be sent home.

Hawaii Electric Light said the jolt knocked out power to about 14,400 customers, but electricity was restored about two hours later.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park evacuated all visitors and non-emergency staff. The quakes triggered rock slides on park trails and crater walls. Narrow fissures appeared on the ground at a building overlooking the crater at Kilauea’s summit.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College both closed campuses to allow students and employees to “attend to personal business and priorities.” Authorities already had closed a long stretch of Highway 130, one of the main arteries through Puna, because of the threat of sulfuric gas.

At Leilani Estates, where lava was pushing through cracks in the earth, some residents still wanted to get home. Brad Stanfill said the lava was more than 3 miles from his house but he was not allowed in because of a mandatory evacuation order. He was frustrated because he wanted to feed his rabbits and dogs and check on his property.

One woman angrily told police guarding Leilani Estates that she was going in and they couldn’t arrest her. She stormed past police unopposed.

Leilani Estates has about 1,700 residents and 770 homes. A nearby neighborhood, Lanipuna Gardens, which has a few dozen people, also has been evacuated.

Kilauea has been continuously erupting since 1983 and is one of five volcanoes that make up the Big Island. Activity picked up earlier this week, indicating a possible new lava outbreak.

The crater floor began to collapse Monday, triggering earthquakes and pushing the lava into new underground chambers. The collapse caused magma to push more than 10 miles downslope toward the populated southeast coastline.

Residents have faced lava threats before. In 2014, lava burned a house and destroyed a cemetery near the town of Pahoa. Residents were worried it would cover the town’s main road and cut off the community from the rest of the island, but the molten rock stalled.

From 1990 through 1991, lava slowly overtook the town of Kalapana, burning homes and covering roads and gardens.

Kilauea hasn’t been the kind of volcano that shoots lava from its summit into the sky, causing widespread destruction. It tends to ooze lava from fissures in its sides, which often gives residents at least a few hours’ warning before it reaches their property.