HILO — Despite predictions that East Hawaii would catch up on rainfall in June, Hilo rain totals for the month were less than half of normal.
The U.S. Drought Monitor describes East Hawaii as “abnormally dry,” with West Hawaii in a moderate drought. A small swath of the northern tip of the Big Island in the region of Akoni Pule Highway now is described as being in severe drought.
National Weather Service data shows the Hilo International Airport received just over 3 inches of rain in June, if trace amounts received June 17 and 19 are counted.
On average, Hilo receives just over 7 inches of rain in June.
Matthew Foster, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said it’s not unusual for East Hawaii to be a few inches below normal and to then catch up.
“It’s our dry season,” he said. But the Big Island also is facing the beginning of hurricane season.
All the island needs, he said, is to “get remnant moisture from a tropical storm” and it will be easy to catch up quickly.
“We’ve just been kind of under a trade-wind pattern,” Foster said. “It’s kind of normal for this time of year.”
East Hawaii, Foster said, will see fairly dry weather in the days ahead, with stratocumulus clouds creating a fairly stable weather pattern.
Those are the type of clouds that tend to build up along the slopes, he said. There won’t be much rain from them, but they’ll help keep the current weather pattern stable for a few days.
In June, rain totals included 4.65 inches in Pahoa, which received only .01 inches of rain until June 13 when 2.44 inches fell; 13.89 inches at the Saddle Road Quarry rain gauge; just .08 inch of rain at the Kona International Airport; and a mere .41 inch of rain fell in the Waimea Heights gauge.
Email Jeff Hansel at jhansel@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
