Postcard from Hawai’i – Page 22

The 2015 El Niño Event

The intensifying El Niño event in the Pacific is looking to be the strongest event of the last 50 years. Some news outlets have dubbed it the “Godzilla” El Niño.

Officially referred to as ENSO, or El Niño Southern Ocsillation, this event is a period of dramatically warm surface water temperatures that occurs across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. These events usually alternate with periods of cooler temperatures, or La Niña events, and can have dramatic effects on weather across the globe.

The immediate effects of the warming water are already being felt… Water temperatures around the islands are at least 2°C above normal, pushing our normally cool water into near bathtub temperatures. Local divers are commenting on the warm water temperatures, those who normally wear wet suits are comfortable without.

This warm water is also fueling the series of hurricanes sweeping past the islands. The storms just keep coming. It will be an interesting year!

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly — Sea surface temperature anomaly charts for August 2015

Here we go yet again…

It looks like yet another hurricane is coming this way, the island squarely in the predicted path. The seemingly endless series of storms passing through is making the 2015 hurricane season one of the most active on record.

Ignacio is expected to become a major storm, crossing the island as a full hurricane. If that is not enough we have Jimena further out and following a similar track. No one expects that to be the end of the series either, with sea water temperatures well above normal and continuing to warm there will be further storms.

I am truly grateful we live on the leeward side of the island, sheltered from the worst of the effects of these storms. A 14,000ft mountain standing between our house and the oncoming hurricane. I do worry about our many friends who live on the other side of the island.

As the storm nears and if it becomes apparent that the island will be hit we will perform our last minute storm preparations, fill the water jugs and secure the lanai furniture. Everything else is already done, held over from the last storm, plenty of emergency supplies and propane on-hand.

Hurricane Ignacio Prediction — The predicted path of Hurricane Ignacio as of 27 Aug 2015

A Lot of Rain

The past two weeks have seen a great deal of precipitation over normally dry Kohala grasslands. Over three inches at the house last week and another three over the last few days from the remains of tropical storm Kilo. This amounts to over half our normal annual rainfall for Waikoloa. The result has been hot muggy weather that has everyone complaining.

No sign of it letting up either. Tropical depression 12E has graduated into tropical storm Ignacio with a probable path that includes the island. Looking at the sea temperature anomaly maps gives a possible reason, the forming El Nino is stronger than expected, surprisingly warm. Life will be interesting.

Rain From Tropical Storm Kilo — Our rain gauge showing over three inches from tropical storm Kilo

A Washer Full of Aloha

Is it bad when you can fill an entire washer load with only aloha shirts?

Yes, we really wear Hawaiian shirts here in Hawaiʻi. Or, as they are called locally, aloha shirts. I remember my first week on the job. I was wearing a modestly colorful shirt in the office and I was wondering if it was appropriate. As I looked about the meeting I noted that two thirds of those present were wearing the colorful shirts, including my supervisor and department head. Yeah, need to buy more.

A Washer Full of Aloha — A washing machine with a full load of aloha

Gecko & Plumeria

Cacti

4th with Fireworks

Gecko & Plumeria

This little guy was not afraid of me in the least. Indeed he had no problem hopping on and off my fingers as I sought to pose him on the flower. It was a warm afternoon and he was quite active, more interested in the ants on the flowers than in sitting still for a portrait.

Shot with an old Canon 100 f/2.8 FD lens (manual focus) and a 25mm extension tube on the Canon EOS-M camera. I got the focus right by simply rocking back and forth through focus while rapidly taking images in servo. This was not with the focus ring, but simply leaning back and forward slowly.

Gecko and Plumaria — A gold dust day gecko (Phelsuma laticauda) on a plumeria blossom

Pineapple

Sitting in front of the computer eating a little dessert before bed. In this case that is a little ice cream and pineapple. The nice part is that this the first pineapple we have grown. The pineapple has been a strikingly attractive ornamental plant in the corner of the lanai and now a source of a very nice fruit.

I understand there is chance for another fruit from the plant. Deb has also prepped the top for rooting. Perhaps another plant? There is plenty of room for another plant on the lanai.