Air Temperatures – The following high temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Sunday…along with the low temperatures Sunday:
80 – 65 Lihue, Kauai
83 – 66 Honolulu, Oahu
86 – 63 Kahului AP, Maui
83 – 68 Kona Int’l AP
80 – 66 Hilo AP, Hawaii
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (in inches) for each of the islands as of Sunday evening:
0.01 Kilohana, Kauai
0.01 Mililani, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.00 Maui
0.01 Pahala, Big Island
The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) as of Sunday evening:
09 Poipu, Kauai
14 Kahuku, Oahu
18 Molokai
13 Lanai
33 Kahoolawe
15 Hana, Maui
27 South Point, Big Island
Here’s a wind profile of the Pacific Ocean – Closer view of the islands – Here’s the Hawaiian Islands NOAA Vog model animation
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. This webcam is 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
Deep low pressure systems are spinning north and northwest of the islands, while a high pressure system is located well northeast, keeping light breezes over the Hawaiian Islands…along with volcanic haze (vog)
A cold front located to the north of the islands
Clear to partly cloudy, with high cirrus over parts of the state, along with lower level clouds carried our way on the gradually returning trade winds
A few showers – Looping radar image
Small Craft Advisory…Alenuihaha Channel and waters around some parts of the Big Island
~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~
The winds remain light, with daytime sea breezes…and volcanic haze over most of the state. Here’s the latest weather map, showing storm low pressure centers to the north and northwest of Hawaii…with an associated cold front north of the islands. Meanwhile, we find a high pressure system well to the northeast of the islands…with an associated ridge just north of Kauai. This in turn is keeping our atmosphere stable, and at the same time volcanic haze (vog) over us. Looking ahead, we’ll see the return of trade winds during the next 24 hours, which will help to ventilate the voggy conditions away thereafter. As these more normal trades fill back into the state, we’ll finally have less haze, with rather strong and gusty winds blowing by mid-week. Looking even further ahead, we could see the trade winds becoming even stronger by next weekend.
A few showers…with little change into the new week. There will be the chance of some minor afternoon upcountry showers here and there, especially over the Big Island. Meanwhile, our atmosphere continues to be relatively dry and stable, with any showers remaining generally light for the most part. A cold front has stalled in its forward motion towards our islands, and has retreated well offshore as it moves by to the north of the state. As the trade winds return soon, there will be some windward showers arriving…although not much rain is expected. Looking ahead to next weekend, we may see a frontal cloud band stretch down over the state, bringing potential wet weather our way then. Otherwise, the plan looks towards a fairly common trade wind weather pattern through the work week…and then a change.
Marine environment details: As the current west-northwest swell continues to lower, the surf has dropped below advisory criteria…the High Surf Advisory has been cancelled. Surf will remain at moderate levels until early Wednesday, when the next swell is expected to arrive.
Winds and seas remain below criteria for a Small Craft Advisory (SCA). The next swell is expected to once again bring seas above the SCA threshold.
The ridge of high pressure near the islands will keep winds light. Moderate to fresh trades are forecast to gradually return during the new week, and SCA level winds are possible over the typically windier waters by Wednesday.
Friday Evening Film: My friend Jeff is just back from a long trip to the mainland and Europe. We decided we’d go see a brand new film called Live By Night, starring Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Sienna Miller, Chris Messina, Chris Cooper, and Zoe Saldana…among many others. The synopsis – Ben Affleck writes, produces, and stars in this dramatic adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s sprawling crime novel, centering on the prodigal son of a prominent police chief, and his gradual descent into the criminal underworld.
The long and short way of describing this piece of work, is to call it an epic Gangster film, no two ways about it. Affleck was far and away the leading actor, although his supporting cast was splendid as well. The film starts out romanticizing the gangster lifestyle, although eventually rips it apart towards the end. The sets, costumes, sound track, and vintage automobiles made this story very interesting to watch, making it very realistic in an old-fashioned way. It was certainly a dark-edged film, with all manner of killings going on from start to finish. It was filled with tommy guns, sharp suits, and villainous vamps throughout. When it came time to grade this film, both Jeff and I handed out a strong B to B+ rating. Here’s the trailer if you’re interested in taking a peek at this heavy weight film.
The surf is dropping along the north and west shores
World-wide tropical cyclone activity…with storms showing up when active
>>> Atlantic Ocean: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean
>>> Caribbean: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
>>> Gulf of Mexico: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
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: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
Here’s the NOAA 2016 Hurricane Season Summary for the Eastern Pacific Basin
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: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
Here’s the NOAA 2016 Hurricane Season Summary for the Central Pacific Basin
Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)
>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:
Tropical Depression 01W is dissipating, here’s the JTWC graphical track map, with a NOAA satellite image – Final Warning
>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: No active tropical cyclones
Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
Interesting: On Food Waste, the US could learn a lot from Europe – The U.S. tosses a staggering $161 billion worth of food every year. While numerous efforts are underway to address that problem, they are taking place mostly at the local level or in the business sector. While that is necessary, national- and international-level policy has a role to play as well. And that is one area in which Europe is far ahead.
So, how did Europe leapfrog the U.S. in food waste policy? Karen Luyckx, coordinator of the Pig Idea campaign at the European NGO Feedback, a leader in the food waste movement, said it was Tristram Stuart’s book “Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal” that really shined the light on the issue in Europe.
“The incredible grassroots movement that followed in the shape of Disco Soups, gleaning and Feeding the 5,000 events … throughout Europe was instrumental in getting local-, national- and EU-level authorities to start understanding the issue and the popular appetite to do something about it,” Luyckx told TriplePundit.
It is noteworthy that Stuart’s book is focused on the big picture — looking at the global causes, and impacts, of food waste. This broad perspective has been a mainstay of European efforts to reduce waste. And what followed was quite groundbreaking, particularly in some of Europe’s biggest countries.
France passed a historic law requiring all large supermarkets to donate unsold food to farms or charities. Italy followed soon thereafter with a law that provided millions in incentives for grocery stores to develop better systems to donate food waste.
In Germany, government officials are aiming to reduce food waste per-capita by 50 percent by 2025. This allows the country to work in conjunction with nonprofits like those running Restlos Gluclich, a restaurant that serves only food items rejected by other vendors. Germany’s excellent recycling and waste management system – they banned traditional dumps back in 2005 – also helps.
It’s not only individual countries making progress in Europe, but there is also momentum for change at the multinational level. The European Union functions as a single market, allowing for the free flow of goods and labor across its borders. This gives the EU power to regulate and develop strategies for much of the continent because, as we know all too well here at TriplePundit, sustainability is a not a national issue but an international one. And food waste is no different.
“Many supply chains run across borders, and so it makes sense to tackle waste resulting from barriers, issues and unfair trading practices in the supply chain from a cross-border perspective,” Luyckx explained.
The European Commission, the chief executive body of the EU, is now working to develop food waste guidelines for the entire 28-country block, as part of a wider program called the Circular Economy Package. By looking at food waste within the larger goal of achieving zero-waste, the Commission can develop strategies that, ideally, will allow the entire continent to be on the same page.
So, why is the U.S. so far behind our brethren in Europe? Part of it is our extremely decentralized waste management system, which puts collection systems in the hands of thousands of different municipalities across the country. Moreover, many of the laws that regulate food waste are at the state level, despite the fact that much of the food we consume crosses state boundaries regularly. And these laws can vary greatly.
Politics is also to blame. Since 2010, when food waste became a global issue, the U.S. has seen unprecedented gridlock in Congress. This kept sustainability out of national-level policymaking — something that is, unfortunately, unlikely to change with the incoming administration. That means good, common-sense and nearly universally-supported measures, such as Congresswomen Chellie Pingree’s (D-Mass.) two bills, the Food Recovery Act and the Food Date Labeling Act, remain stuck in committee.
This is not to say that Europe has solved the food waste problem. It remains an issue there, though at smaller scale than here in the U.S. That’s why Luyckx wants to make clear Europe has a lot to do. EU-wide rules for food waste are not yet set, and some policy barriers remain to what she sees as one part of the solution – turning some waste in to animal feed.
Still, the progress Europe has made in such a short time is remarkable. The EU is heading in the right direction, and unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the U.S. as a whole. We could learn a lot from our neighbors across the Atlantic — and see how strong national policymaking, coordination within and across borders, and dedication can ensure that government supports the burgeoning food waste reduction movement.
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