Weather stations are being built across Hawaii to assist in forecasting for extreme flood, fire events

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa are working to install a statewide tool to measure the ebb and flow of the atmosphere.

A mesonet is an interconnected network of automated weather stations that measure several atmospheric conditions.

So far, 62 stations have been installed across the island chain by researchers at UH Manoa, and over 100 are planned.

The name of this project is Hawaii Mesonet, which is modeled after similar work in other states. Most notably, the Oklahoma Mesonet assists in monitoring for approaching severe weather and tornadoes on the great plains.

Hawaii, historically, has been sparse in terms of weather data, meaning it is often hard to tell what is happening in more remote parts of the state. With this new mesonet, forecasters and weather models will have a clearer picture when it comes to forecasting the diverse microclimates across the island chain.

The recorded data from the mesonet sites is uploaded into future weather models, providing more information to the computer which results in a higher-quality forecast.

Hawaii News Now had the opportunity to look at one of the newest mesonet stations.

Dr. Thomas Giambelluca, project lead for the Hawaii Mesonet, explained, “The data provided by these stations really revolutionizes our ability to anticipate and prepare for and minimize risk during extreme events such as floods and wildfires.”

This new network is not only a tool for forecasters and emergency managers to protect both life and property; it also assists the agricultural sector of Hawaii.

The new weather monitoring stations also measure soil temperature and moisture, providing invaluable data to farmers across the state.

Giambelluca also emphasized the importance of finding continued funding for this network. He said that the program will be “asking the state Legislature to commit to supporting the remaining amount we need.”

Learn more about the Hawaii Mesonet on Instagram @hiclimateportal.

The collected data is also publicly available here.

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