####018002319#### ATHW40 PHFO 151237 SIMHI HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SATELLITE INTERPRETATION MESSAGE NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI 1230 UTC SUN MAR 15 2009 BASED ON DATA THROUGH 1200 UTC MARCH 15 2009 THE WEATHER SYSTEM THAT HAS BROUGHT THE UNSETTLED...SHOWERY WEATHER TO THE 50TH STATE IS LOCATED 365 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF KAUAI EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...AT COORDINATES 24.2N164.7W. THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE LOW HAS BEEN SOUTH AT AROUND 15 MPH DURING THE PAST 5 HOURS. THE CYCLONIC FLOW OF THIS LOW REACHES OUT TO AS FAR AS 800 MILES. TOWERING CUMULUS CLOUDS EXTENDS OUT TO 250 MILES EAST SEMICIRCLE OF THE CENTER. BETWEEN THIS CLOUD FIELD AND KAUAI ARE SCATTERED TO BROKEN CUMULI FORM CLOUDS. THE PREVAILING WIND FLOW ACROSS THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS IS FROM THE SOUTHWEST...BLOWING AT 20 TO 25 MPH. IN THIS FLOW ARE A COUPLE OF SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ORIENTED BANDS OF SHOWER BEARING CLOUDS LYING ACROSS OAHU AND MAUI COUNTIES. THESE TWO BANDS EXTENDS SOUTHWESTWARD FROM THE ISLANDS UP TO 300 MILES. SOME OF THESE SHOWERS ARE HEAVY IN INTENSITY. THIS BIG ISLAND IS PRETTY SHOWER-FREE...WHILE KAUAI COUNTY HAS A COUPLE OF SHOWERS MOVING THROUGH. THE TOPS OF THESE CLOUDS ARE BETWEEN 10 AND 15 THOUSAND FEET. CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS/CB/...SCATTERED IN COVERAGE...ARE PRESENT BETWEEN 200 AND 850 MILES NORTH OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS... BETWEEN 24N AND 32N FROM 147W TO 161W. MOST OF THE CB TOPS ARE AROUND 42000 FEET...WITH HIGHEST AT 50000 FT. WHAT APPEARS TO BE A TROUGH IS NOTED 150 MILES EAST OF THE BIG ISLAND. IT EXTENDS FROM 22N151W TO 18N153W TO 14N158W. THE TROUGH HAS SHIFTED SLIGHTLY EAST DURING THE PAST 6 TO 8 HOURS...AND IS MARKED BY SCATTERED TCU/S. THE AREA OF MULTILAYERED CLOUDS EAST OF THE TROUGH HAS DISSIPATED CONSIDERABLE DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. THE SHARPING OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH JUST WEST OF THE DATELINE HAS CAUSED AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ALONG 175W LONGITUDE TO SHARPEN... CAUSING THE HIGH CIRRUS CLOUDS TO ADVANCE NORTH FROM 18N TO 22N IN THE PAST FEW HOURS. WITH THE UPPER LEVEL LOW NORTHWEST OF KAUAI...IN THE SAME SPOT AS THE SURFACE LOW...THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS MAY BE IN THE PATH OF THESE CIRRUS CLOUDS LATER TODAY. $$ H LAU