State of Hawaii

MONTH: June 2007

PREPARED: July 13, 2007

State: [Text data table for rain gages]

Trade winds persisted throughout the month of June bringing needed rainfall to windward areas of the main Hawaiian Islands but leaving leeward areas quite dry. An old shear line remnant embedded within moderate trades brought enhanced showers mainly to the windward slopes of Kauai and Oahu on June 4 and 5. The trades strengthened to fresh to strong levels on June 27 before relaxing back to moderate to fresh levels on June 28.

The continued lack of significant leeward rainfall resulted in a worsening of drought conditions in several areas during the month of June. Water conservation notices shifted from calls for voluntary reductions to mandatory restrictions in Upcountry Maui (10 percent reduction) and portions of the South Kohala and Hamakua Districts on the Big Island (25 percent reduction). Decreasing reservoir levels in the Waimanalo Irrigation System have also prompted agriculture officials to implement a mandatory 20 percent cut back in water use. Brush fires have also increased statewide during the past month with large outbreaks occurring in leeward west Maui and near Waikoloa on the Big Island .

Island of Kauai : [June 2007 map] [Year-to-date map]

Most of the gages on Kauai recorded near to above normal rainfall for June. Gages in the southeast- and north-facing slopes of the island recorded below normal totals with Lihue Airport ’s 0.32 inches marking its driest June on record. Persistent trade winds helped produce daily rainfall on top of Mount Waialeale for a monthly total of 48.81 inches (162 percent of normal), the highest total statewide. Mount Waialeale also recorded the highest daily total in the state, 4.58 inches on June 4 during the passage of a shear line remnant.

Most of Kauai ’s rain totals for 2007 through the end of June are in the below normal range. Mount Waialeale ’s 182.30 inches (86 percent of normal) far surpasses all other totals statewide.

Island of Oahu: [June 2007 map] [Year-to-date map]

Most gages on the Koolau Range northwest of Waimanalo recorded near to above normal rainfall. Many East Koolau and West Oahu locations recorded amounts at less than 50 percent of normal. The Oahu National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) gage recorded 12.52 inches (82 percent of normal), the highest total on the island and the second highest in the state. This site also recorded Oahu’s highest daily total of 3.80 inches during the June 4 passage of a shear line remnant. In contrast, many leeward gages recorded less than 1 inch of rain all month with the lowest total coming from the Waianae Boat Harbor (0.01 inches, 3 percent of normal).

Most of Oahu’s rain totals for 2007 through the end of June are in the below normal range. The Oahu Forest NWR total of 79.50 inches (75 percent of normal) leads all island-wide totals and now ranks 2nd highest in the state behind only Mount Waialeale. Many leeward sites fall into the 30 to 50 percent of normal range for the year-to-date.

Maui County: [Maui June 2007 map] [Year-to-date map] [Molokai/Lanai June 2007 map] [Year-to-date map]

Most of the gages in Maui County recorded below normal totals for June. Many had totals at less than 50 percent of normal and several were less than 10 percent of normal. West Wailuaiki recorded 10.58 inches (104 percent of normal), the highest monthly total in the county. Puu Kukui, normally the second wettest spot in the state, recorded 8.02 inches or 9th highest statewide. Pukalani, Kihei, and Waikapu Country Club did not record any measurable amounts of rain all month.

Rain totals for 2007 through the end of June are at near to below normal levels at all locations in Maui County. Puu Kukui’s 77.62 inches (39 percent of normal) still tops all other totals county-wide but dropped a notch to 3rd in the state behind Mount Waialeale and the Oahu Forest NWR.

Island of Hawaii: [June 2007 map] [Year-to-date map]

Most of the windward Big Island gages posted totals in the near to above normal range while most leeward gages recorded below normal totals. The Glenwood gage once again posted the highest monthly total on the island with 11.38 inches (156 percent of normal), including a 3-day span (June 14-16) that produced 1 to 2 inches of rain per day. The Keahole Airport presents an interesting anomaly with its unusually high June total of 1.74 inches registering at 348 percent of normal. All of the other Kona sites came in at less than 60 percent of normal.

Rain totals for 2007 through the end of June remain in the near to below normal range at all sites island-wide with several locations in the Kona, Kau, and Kohala areas below 50 percent of normal. Glenwood’s 75.03 inches (84 percent of normal) leads all Big Island totals and ranks 5th highest in the state.

Data Sources: Data used in this report are largely from National Weather Service sources including climate network weather observation stations at Lïhu‘e, Honolulu, Kahului, and Hilo, the Hydronet state network of automated rain gages, and selected Cooperative Observer sites. Additional data come from automated rain gages operated by the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, the US Geological Survey, the US Bureau of Land Management, the US National Park Service, the Department of Defense, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Data presented here are not certified and should be used for information purposes only.

Kevin R. Kodama
Senior Service Hydrologist
NOAA/NWS Weather Forecast Office Honolulu