The early morning hours of 21 February 2026 brought some intense tropical convection to the vicinity of the Samoan Islands. Radar coverage is lacking in this part of the world so satellites remain the best way to monitor storms in this region for potential safety hazards. A good first stop... Read More
While tropical beaches may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Hawaii, it’s important to remember that the Big Island of Hawai’i has significant elevation. The highest point, Mauna Kea, is over 13,800 feet above sea level. Even though it’s the tropics, this is a high... Read More
The residents of American Samoa found themselves in the early morning hours of 20 November 2025, as strong maritime convection moved into the region. There is no radar in the area, so satellite observations are critical for operational awareness and nowcasting. The Band 13 infrared view on GOES-18 showed a... Read More
Instrument issues at the weather station in Pago Pago (related to Hydrogen generation) means that balloon launches occur only once every other day, at 0000 UTC on odd days. The sounding for 15 April/0000 UTC (1 PM Samoa Standard time on 14 April) is shown below.Two different JPSS satellites overflew... Read More
