The latest update to this website was at 849am Wednesday morning (HST)

 

Here are the highest temperatures Tuesday afternoon…and the lowest Wednesday morning:

86 / 76  Lihue AP, Kauai
90 / 78  Honolulu AP, Oahu – The record high Tuesday was 93
89 / 73  Molokai AP, Molokai
91 / 73  Kahului AP, Maui – The record high Tuesday was 95
88 / 75  Kona AP, Big Island
84 / 71  Hilo AP, Big Island

Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Wednesday morning:

0.64  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.21  Moanuluar RG, Oahu
0.00  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.06  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.11  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) as of Wednesday morning:

22  Port Allen, Kauai
32  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
27  Makapulapai, Molokai
28  Lanai 1, Lanai
27  Kahului AP, Maui
32  Kealakomo, Big Island

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (~13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. 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.

 

https://weather.gc.ca/data/satellite/goes_gwdisk11_1070_100.jpg

Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/tpw/13/GOES17-TPW-13-900x540.gif 

Tropical disturbance south-southwest of Hawaii
(click for larger version)


https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/GOES17-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Variable clouds across the state

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/hi/13/GOES17-HI-13-600x600.gif

Low clouds being carried our way on the trade wind flow…high Cirrus clouds arriving from the southwest

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/HAWAII_loop.gif

Localized showers

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Kauai_VIS_loop.gif

Kauai and Oahu (Satellite)

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKI_loop.gif

Kauai and Oahu (Radar)

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Oahu-Maui_VIS_loop.gif

Oahu and Maui County (Satellite)

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHMO_loop.gif

Oahu and Maui County (Radar)

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Hawaii_VIS_loop.gif

 Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, and the Big Island (Satellite)

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKM_loop.gif

Maui County and the Big Island (Radar)

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHWA_loop.gif

Big Island (Radar)

 

Model showing precipitation through 8-days (you can slow this animation down)

 

https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/png/hfo.png

Please open this link to see details on any current Watches, Warnings and Advisories noted above

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/graphics/pmsl.gif

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Wednesday comments:  I’m home here in upper Kula, Maui, I hope you have a great Wednesday wherever you happen to be spending it.

532am, it’s mostly clear early this morning…the low temperature here at my Kula weather tower was 53.5 degrees.

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview:  Gentle to breezy east trade winds will continue the next several days. Rainfall will be limited with more cloudiness and brief showers favoring windward exposures and higher terrain. The lone exception will be along Kona region slopes of Big Island, where thicker cloud cover and showers will develop during daytime hours.

Hawaii’s Weather Details:  A large ridge of high pressure orientated well to the north of the islands. The pressure gradient from the associated high will continue to be the generate gentle interior and breezy coastal and mountain easterly trades into October. Low pressure moving east across the Gulf of Alaska will ride atop this ridging, and nudge it slightly closer to the island chain.

Overall, this will have little to no effect on these ongoing gentle to breezy east trades the next several days. The only subtle effect would be a minor slackening, leading to a hardly noticeable weakening of late week easterlies to more gentle levels. The low will progressively move far northeast of the area this weekend, allowing the ridge to rebound to the north. This will likely correlate to the return of more statewide breezy east trades early next week.

Mid to upper level ridging will build in over and north of the islands during the remainder of the week. A vast majority of the state’s 24 hour rainfall observations have been zero, with those that did pick up rain only measuring a few hundredths of an inch (windward Big Island’s Mountain View was the winner with slightly over a quarter of an inch since yesterday morning).

Mid layer moisture carried our way will not be overly abundant the next few days. This will translate to clearing out skies and ultimately result in a dry weather pattern. Windward Big Island and upper elevation Kauai will experience more abundant periods of rain through Friday.

The rest of the state will experience brief shower activity that will generally favor the windward slopes and highest terrain, especially overnight. More frequent areas of high mid level moisture moving through from the northeast and east early next week, will increase area wide rain chances and coverage.

Here’s a near real-time Wind Profile of the Pacific Ocean – along with a Closer View of the islands / Here’s the latest Weather Map / Vog map animation

Fire weather:  It is that time of year where we find afternoon minimum sub-50% relative humidity readings. As we are in a drier weather pattern this week, fire weather conditions will worsen going into late September. Short and mid term sustained winds at the Honolulu Airport will likely remain below the 20 mph Red Flag Warning criteria. Thus, critical fire weather conditions are not expected for the rest of the week. However, many leeward areas are in a moderate to severe drought, and this alone elevates the fire weather threat.

Hawaii’s Marine Environment:  High pressure far north of the state will maintain moderate to locally strong trade winds. Latest observations and model guidance shows that winds will hover near to just above Small Craft Advisory criteria, with conditions possibly dipping below advisory levels tonight. The SCA remains in effect for the typical windy waters around Maui County and the Big Island.

Winds will further weaken this Friday and over the weekend, as a cold front passes by north of the state, weakening and shifting the high far northeast. Moderate to locally strong trades may rebound as early next week as the front dissipates, and a new high quickly rebuilds north of the state. Thunderstorm activity will stay just south and west of the area.

Latest offshore buoys 51001 and 51101 show a slow decline of the northwest swell (320 to 330 degrees) energy that has peaked. We should see a gradually downtrend through the rest of the work week. A smaller north-northwest swell could provide a small, short lived boost this weekend.

Surf along south facing shores will remain elevated, as a small southwest swell peaks, with a gradual decline. In addition, an overlapping southwest swell is expected to fill in, from a fetch of strong southwest winds that occurred Monday A smaller southwest swell is possible Thursday night into Friday, before slowly declining over the weekend.

Forerunners of a small south-southwest swell is expected arrive over the weekend and peak early next week. East facing shores should remain small through the rest of the week into the weekend, due to the lack of strong trades locally or upstream of the state.

 

                           Wailea and Makena — Wailea Beach Path - Great Runs

 

 

World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity

 

Atlantic Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclone

>>> Eastern and Central Tropical Atlantic:

Invest 98L

A broad low pressure system associated with a tropical wave located west of the Cabo Verde Islands continues to produce disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity. Environmental conditions appear favorable for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form in a few days while it moves westward to west-northwestward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…50 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…80 percent

>>> Central Subtropical Atlantic:

Invest 99L

A non-tropical area of low pressure is currently located several hundred miles to the northeast of Bermuda. The system is currently producing winds up to storm force, and environmental conditions could support some subtropical or tropical development over the next several days as the system moves generally eastward, remaining over the open waters of central Subtropical Atlantic.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent

Caribbean Sea:  

Tropical Cyclone 09L (Helene)…located about 500 miles south-southwest of Tampa, Florida

HELENE BECOMES A HURRICANE…EXPECTED TO BRING LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, DAMAGING WINDS, AND FLOODING RAINS TO A LARGE PORTION OF FLORIDA AND THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

According to the NHC Advisory number 9

Helene is moving toward the north-northwest near 10 mph. A turn toward the north and north-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected later today through Thursday, bringing the center of Helene across the eastern Gulf of Mexico and to the Florida Big Bend coast by Thursday evening. After landfall, Helene is expected to slow down and turn toward the northwest over the southeastern United States Friday and Saturday.

Data from NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 80 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast, and Helene is expected to be a major hurricane when it reaches the Florida Big Bend coast Thursday evening. Weakening is expected after landfall, but Helene’s fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States, including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 275 miles.

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclone

Northeastern Pacific: 

Tropical Cyclone 10E (John)…is located about 110 miles west-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico

JOHN REFORMS…HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE COAST OF SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWESTERN MEXICO

John is moving toward the east near 2 mph. A slow motion to the north is expected later today. On the forecast track, the center of the system is forecast to approach the southern and southwestern coast of Mexico on Thursday and move inland on Friday. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts. John is forecast to strengthen as it approaches the coast of southern Mexico on Thursday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center.

cone graphic

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

North Central Pacific:  There are no active tropical cyclone

>>> Approximately 600 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii:

A broad low pressure system southeast of Hawaii is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions are not expected to be conducive for further development of this system as it moves westward at 10 mph during the next several days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…10 percent

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

Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Tropical Cyclone 18W (Cimaron)…is located approximately 556 NM southwest of Yokosuka, Japan

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/wp1824.gif

Southwest Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

North and South Indian Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Arabian Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

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

>>> Here’s a link to the Pacific Disaster Center’s (PDC Global) Weather Wall website

 

Interesting:  Extinct Volcanoes Could Be Source of Key Metals Needed for Clean Tech

Scientists have found that some extinct volcanoes, which have not erupted for thousands or millions of years, may contain key metals used in clean energy.

For the research, scientists melted down rocks similar to those found in extinct volcanoes that are rich in iron, discovering the rocks likely contained rare-earth elements, such as neodymium, that are used in wind turbines and electric car motors. “Our findings suggest that these iron-rich extinct volcanoes across the globe, such as El Laco in Chile, could be studied for the presence of rare-earth elements,” said Michael Anenburg, of the Australian National University, who coauthored the research.

While so-called rare-earth elements are actually fairly common, they are scarcely found in their pure form and are generally difficult to refine. The new study, published in Geochemical Perspectives Letters, suggests that the rare-earths lurking under extinct volcanoes may be may be easier to extract. The iron-rich magma that formed some extinct volcanoes would be up to 100 times more efficient at concentrating rare-earths than the magma found in active volcanoes today.

Read more at: Yale Environment 360