See You in Hawaiʻi! The Weather There Is Delightful.

See You in Hawaiʻi! The Weather There Is Delightful.

Our meeting in Singapore was fantastic. Kudos to our former program chair Brian Hargreaves! And life moves forward. Now, I’d like to direct your attention to the next destination: Honolulu. Our theme for next year will be Towards a Healthier Footprint. We will thus be talking a lot about the environment. And the theme for the Clinical Focus Meeting (CFM) will be Contrast Agents. This is also partly related to environmental issues.

From my simplistic viewpoint, both Singapore and Hawaiʻi bear something in common: these islands are located south of where I live—Kyoto, Japan. Therefore, when I think of these places, I would imagine somewhere hot, nothing more, nothing less. However, during a recent short visit to Honolulu with the Central Office team (including Anne-Marie and Jennifer, as seen in the photo), I discovered significant differences.

Singapore, as you may recall, is very humid. The air felt sticky outside the buildings, and the average humidity there hovers around 80% throughout the year. In contrast, Honolulu’s humidity is around 70%, which might not sound like a huge difference. But it felt remarkably dry.

So, why such disparities? I did some reading about geography. Singapore sits right on the equator, leading to substantial heat accumulation due to intense sunshine. This results in an upward flow of air, creating low-pressure systems. The heated air from the tropical zone rises to about 12,000 meters above the sea level and then slowly travels either north or south for thousands of kilometers. Eventually, this air mass descends back to Earth’s surface around 30 degrees north or south of the equator. This atmospheric convection is known as the Hadley cell. The sinking cold air generates high-pressure systems, forming what we call the “subtropical high.”

The Hawaiʻian Islands are situated at approximately 20° N latitude, right along the edges of this high-pressure zone. That’s precisely why these islands enjoy such a pleasant climate. The constant airflow generated by trade winds will add to your pleasant outdoor experience. In fact, some people claim that Hawaiʻi boasts some of the best weather on the planet. When you visit, expect occasional light rainfalls—much milder than Singapore’s downpours. In May, the average rainfall is about 1.3 inches. And those occasional showers will often create rainbows, which have become a symbol of this beautiful state. I’m sure that you’ll spot one or two during your stay. There’s an undeniably magical atmosphere in Hawaiʻi, so let’s get ready for our next travels. We should talk more about the sustainability there!

Kei Yamada, M.D., Ph.D.
2025 Annual Meeting Program Chair