Posted on: Thursday, August 19, 2004
O'ahu temperatures near record
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Staff Writer
Temperatures in Honolulu hit a near-record 92 degrees yesterday and high humidity and light winds made it seem even warmer, sending many residents to the beach, fan stores, shave ice stands and other cool places.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser The temperature at Honolulu International Airport reached 92 in the afternoon, just one degree shy of the record for the day. The "RealFeel" temperature — a sort of wind-chill factor in reverse that takes into consideration wind, humidity, sunshine and other factors — was even hotter: a sweltering 99 degrees.
"We just had to find a way to get a little chill," said Carolyn Ma, an East Honolulu mother who brought her two children to the Waiola Store in McCully for shave ice after a day of schoolbook pickups at Punahou.
They weren't alone.
A constant stream of hot, sweaty people lined up outside the store, keeping manager Jerry Lee running for more blocks of ice.
"Every time it gets hot like this, we do a lot of extra business," he said. "We're serving hundreds of them today."
The unusually muggy weather is the result of higher than normal humidity being brought ashore by light sea breezes, said Bob Farrell, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
Normally, trade winds push humid air over the mountains and past the Islands, bringing relief with both showers and the breezes themselves, Farrell said.
In the past few days, however, the lack of wind caused humid air to sit over land and the lack of clouds made inland spots hotter than normal, he said.
That left people having to find their own breezes.
"The flow of people coming in has been just crazy in the last few days," said Dean Hernandez, a technician at The Fan Shop in 'Aiea. "Our business is up at least 15 percent."
Hernandez said many of the customers shopping for ceiling fans have air conditioning running full time in their homes.
"It's brutal hot up on the construction deck," Hassett said. "I've got my air conditioner at home all cranked up and can't wait to get there."
Across O'ahu, the use of fans, air conditioning and everything else pushed electricity use close to the all-time record set one-day before, said Pepi Nieva, a Hawaiian Electric spokesman.
By late afternoon, electricity use climbed to 1,290 megawatts, Nieva said. That was just 1 megawatt off Tuesday's record.
Trade winds, and more comfortable conditions, are expected to return today, the Weather Service said.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
"They say it's 90 degrees, but it feels like 190," said construction worker Warren Hassett, taking a break in the shade of the partially built Ko'olani condominium on Queen Street.
Construction worker Larue Richey tries to beat the heat while on the job at the Ko'olani condominium on Queen Street. Trade winds are expected to return today, the National Weather Service said.
