|
Unstable atmosphere If the weather seems weird lately, with spurts of rain and sunshine, it's because of "real unstable" conditions, says National Weather Service lead forecaster Roy Matsuda.
over isles causes bursts
of rain and sun
The windy and wet weather
is expected to subside tomorrowBy Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.comThe result is "awesome thunderstorms" over the Big Island the past two days, he said. In the 24 hours up to 2 p.m. yesterday, 4.58 inches of rain were recorded upslope of Hilo.
"It's not an average Hilo day -- much more than average," Matsuda said.
In Kona, the National Weather Service received reports of 1/2-inch hail yesterday and pea-sized hail in Olinda, Maui, on Friday. The weather brought reports of scattered power outages on some islands but no major problems.
The windy and wet conditions were expected to continue today with the chance of thunderstorms.
With unstable conditions, Matsuda said, "the clouds just grow taller and bigger than they usually are, but because of strong winds, they pass by very quickly and between showers we could have some sunshine."
|
Jobey Kane and his family first tried going swimming in Haleiwa yesterday, but after getting rained on twice, they moved to Waimea Bay and got in a quick swim.Alika Dowsett, Miguel Espinoza and Kevin White, all of Haleiwa, said the intermittent rain was a good thing because it kept "lightweights" away from the beach, leaving more waves for serious bodyboarders like themselves. The friends kept bodysurfing through the showers.
"What's gonna happen when it rains?" Dowsett asked. "We're wet already!"
Some events, such as the city's Sunset at the Beach, were canceled yesterday and today because of the weather, but the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition still plans to hold its parade tomorrow, said chairman Donald Hayman. It is scheduled to start at 9 a.m., going from Magic Island to Kapiolani Park.
The forecast for tomorrow calls for subsiding winds with occasional showers.
The weather actually has hit the state with a double whammy -- strong winds and unstable conditions from both high- and low-pressure systems.
"The good news is the high, causing very strong tradewinds, will be gradually weakening," Matsuda said. "And the low, causing the atmosphere to be quite unstable, will be gradually moving off and weakening."
Tradewinds yesterday averaged 10 mph to 20 mph but gusts up to 60 mph were reported in some areas.
A winter storm warning remained in effect for the snow-blanketed summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island. The access road to the Mauna Kea observatories was closed and expected to remain closed until next week.
The snow appears to be about a foot deep at the 13,200-foot summit and extends down to nearly 7,000 feet, according to an observatory report.
"It looks lower visually," said Hawaii County Police Officer Lance Ambrose. "It may be an optical illusion."
He said clouds obscured the view of the snow from Hilo but people in Waimea and Kohala "tell us it's spectacular."
On Oahu yesterday, Hawaiian Electric Company crews worked on power outages in Manoa, Palolo, Waianae, Makaha and Nanakuli.
Ocean Safety dispatcher Rod Alderton said a couple of kayakers in distress were rescued from the Mokuleas off Lanikai Beach at 11:30 a.m. and some swimmers were rescued at the Blowhole near Sandy Beach.
Alderton said that at most locations on Oahu yesterday, "It was a blustery day, not a good beach day."
A high surf warning was issued for east shores of the Big Island, where waves were reported as high as 20 feet. A high surf advisory was in effect for east shores of all other islands because of wind-generated waves.
The surf and wind advisories were expected to remain in effect today.
Reporters Diana Leone and
Leila Fujimori contributed to this story.