Trade Winds Drop, and Hawaii Gets Muggy Audrey Mcavoy - Associated Press
go to original June 4, 2013

Je'essinia enjoys the gentle trade winds shortly after sunset off of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. (AP/Lucy Pemoni)

HONOLULU - Part of what makes living in Hawaii so pleasant is the gentle breeze. Arriving from the northeast, it's light enough that it is barely noticeable but strong enough to chase away the humidity.

It's a natural draw to the outdoors. It is not uncommon to show up at a house to find its residents relaxing out in the covered porch or in the car port, not their living room, and enjoying the cooling winds — and a cool drink.

Nowadays, experts say, these breezes, called trade winds, are declining, a drop that's slowly changing life across the islands.

The affects can be seen from the relatively minor, such as residents unaccustomed to the humidity complaining about the weather and having to use their fans and air conditioning more often, to the more consequential, including winds being too weak to blow away volcanic smog.

The winds also help bring the rains, and their decline means less water. It's one reason officials are moving to restore the health of the mountainous forests that hold the state's water supply and encourage water conservation. Scholars are studying ways for farmers to plant crops differently.

It's not clear what's behind the shift in the winds.

Read the rest at Yahoo! News

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