Yes, Martha, Hawaii is getting warmer, too
From the state where the debate over global warming began comes news of…you guessed it…warming trends.
That’s right, the Mauna Loa Climate Observatory in Hawaii was the first to document a steady increase in the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels more than 30 years ago.
And, three of the islands’ hottest years on record have occurred since 2003.
Although preliminary 2006 data suggest temperatures dropped by one degree last year, average temperatures have risen by half a degree each decade since record-keeping began in 1950.
It’s more like a full degree increase for the most recent decade.
Here’s the ten hottest years since 1950 showing the average temperature in Honolulu:
- 1995 79.3
- 1994 78.8
- 2004 78.7
- 1996 78.6
- 1988 78.5
- 2003 78.5
- 2005 78.4
- 1986 78.3
- 1970 78.2
- 1977 78.2
The (sorta) good news: we’re seeing a bit more of the sun and getting a bit less rain. As a percent of possible sunshine, Honolulu has been getting 71% in recent years, which is up about 1 percent since 1950.
Average precipitation has been declining by 0.2 inches per year over the same period.
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