... Beginning of sixth week of excessive rainfall in Hawaii

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI

300 PM HST MON MAR 27 2006

...Beginning of sixth week of excessive rainfall in Hawaii...

Since mid-February the upper atmospheric pattern across the Pacific has been relatively locked in place with a series of upper level storm systems forming just to the north and west of Hawaii. This has put Hawaii in the moist and unstable area in relationship to these storms...resulting in round after round of rains and thunderstorms across the state.

Hardest hit has been Kauai and to a lesser extent Oahu and southeast portions of the Big Island. Several long term monthly records on Kauai have already been broken...with even an all time record for Lihue. Records at Lihue only go back to 1950. Even on portions of Windward Oahu...a couple of monthly rainfall records have already been established for locations with records that go back to the early 20th century.

For much of the state...this March has been very much like that of March 1951. In reviewing upper level atmospheric patterns...there was a remarkable similarity that month to the current pattern...not only across the Pacific but the entire northern hemisphere. As the case this year...1951 saw a series of heavy rain events across much of the state. Records from 1951 indicate significant flooding and agricultural losses that were estimated at nearly $1.3 million.

The table below lists preliminary rainfall information for a number of locations across the state. Included are rain totals since the wet episode began 37 days ago and rainfall this month. For select locations...rainfall records for March and the wettest month on record are also listed.

For March rainfall totals...one asterisk means a new March record.  Two asterisks refer to a new wettest month on record. This is only for stations with records that extend prior to 1960.

                     RAIN SINCE  MARCH    RECORD       RECORD FOR

                         FEB 19   RAIN     MARCH     ANY MONTH/YR

KAUAI...

MOUNT WAIALEALE          126.69  90.00*  81.95(1951)  90.07 APR71

WAILUA                    51.72  41.71

KAPAHI                    48.80  42.96

HANALEI RIVER             48.35  36.81

LIHUE AIRPORT             41.97  34.31** 14.54(1951)  22.91 DEC68

OMAO                      35.16  31.61

HANALEI                   35.13  27.83

KOKEE                     29.03  27.53

MOLOAA                    28.87  22.84*  21.97(1951)  31.49 JAN56

PORT ALLEN                28.51  26.46

WAINIHA                   28.18  24.46

PRINCEVILLE               27.71  21.35   29.89(1951)  29.89 MAR51

KALAHEO                   26.79  20.94

MAKAHA RIDGE              20.35  19.64

                     RAIN SINCE  MARCH    RECORD       RECORD FOR

                         FEB 19   RAIN     MARCH     ANY MONTH/YR

OAHU....

POAMOHO                   74.24  55.11

WILSON TUNNEL             47.02  28.73

PUNALUU PUMP              45.40  36.02*  35.21(1920)  36.70 JAN22

LULUKU                    43.33  28.55

WAIHEE PUMP               41.31  27.95

AHUIMANU LOOP             39.02  23.13

NUUANU UPPER              34.01  21.63

MAUNAWILI                 32.00  20.38

KAHUKU                    31.53  26.98*  15.30(1917)  29.89 DEC27

ST. STEPHENS              31.36  20.03

MANOA - LYON ARBORETUM    29.74  19.59

KAWAILOA                  25.40  22.10

KII                       23.93  20.28

KANEOHE                   23.40  13.61   20.10(1991)  26.54 JAN23

WAIMANALO                 23.39  16.48   19.43(1963)  28.21 JAN16

HAKIPUU MAUKA             21.29  13.07

WAIAWA                    20.85  18.84

OLOMANA                   20.17  12.76

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS        19.48  17.63

MAKUA RIDGE               19.31  17.71

BELLOWS AFS               18.76  11.93

NIU VALLEY                17.26  14.71

WHEELER AIRFIELD          16.68  14.86

PALISADES                 16.62  14.37

WAIANAE VALLEY            15.51  13.73

MOANALUA                  15.10  12.26   24.17(1951)  24.17 MAR51

PALOLO                    14.70  13.13

WAIPIO                    14.19  12.30

MILILANI                  13.71  12.20

HONOLULU AIRPORT          12.96  10.68   20.79(1951)  20.79 MAR51

WAIANAE                   12.94  12.00

LUALUALEI                 12.77  10.10

KAMEHAME                  12.53  10.77

KUNIA                     12.37   9.62

HONOLULU - ALOHA TOWER    12.34  10.51

HAWAII KAI                10.97   8.25

WAIANAE BOAT HARBOR        9.98   9.06

MAKUA RANGE                9.51   8.68

KALAELOA AIRPORT           6.95   6.79

MOLOKAI....

MAKAPULAPAI                7.50   6.09

KAUNAKAKAI MAUKA           7.39   6.36

KAMALO                     7.32   5.46

MOLOKAI AIRPORT            5.02   4.61   19.34(1951)  19.34 MAR51

LANAI...

LANAI                     11.07   9.98

LANAI CITY                 9.89   9.29   21.59(1951)  21.59 MAR51

KAHOOLAWE...

HONOKANAIA                 4.90   4.84

                     RAIN SINCE  MARCH    RECORD       RECORD FOR

                         FEB 19   RAIN     MARCH     ANY MONTH/YR

MAUI...

KAUPO GAP                 36.11  33.92

WEST WAILUAIKI            34.46  19.30

MAHINAHINA                12.80  12.14

HANA AIRPORT              10.88   4.61   37.28(2004)  40.86 APR89

KULA                       8.19   7.68   14.24(1944)  22.75 JAN71

HAIKU                      6.64   4.96

WAILUKU                    5.87   5.26   14.08(1967)  22.38 JAN80

ULUPALAKUA                 4.54   3.66   11.35(1967)  15.28 JAN59

LAHAINALUNA                4.42   4.00

PUKALANI                   4.20   3.90

WAIKAPU                    3.56   2.66

KAHULUI AIRPORT            3.29   2.96   10.90(1967)  17.52 JAN16

BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII...

GLENWOOD                  50.32  44.06

WAIAKEA UKA               50.14  39.80

MOUNTAIN VIEW             47.90  39.23   79.56(1980)  79.56 JAN80

PIIHONUA                  44.77  37.62

HILO AIRPORT              30.71  25.86   49.93(1980)  50.82 DEC54

PAHALA                    30.36  29.40*  28.93(1980)  40.52 DEC27

KAPAPALA RANCH            29.26  28.28   40.66(1980)  45.04 NOV90

VOLCANO NP-HILINA PALI    28.13  28.01

PAHOA                     26.19  21.97   45.90(1942)  60.10 NOV15

LAUPAHOEHOE               22.82  16.47

HAKALAU                   20.46  17.23

SOUTH POINT                8.64   8.52

HONOKAA                    7.25   1.06

HONAUNAU                   6.82   6.42

PUU WAAWAA                 4.67   4.53

KEALAKEKUA                 4.22   3.80

UPOLU AIRPORT              4.06   2.71

PUUANAHULU                 3.83   3.66

KAMUELA UPPER              3.53   2.44

KAHUKU RANCH               3.37   3.24

WAIAHA                     3.29   3.13

KAHUA RANCH                3.16   2.35

KAMUELA                    2.95   1.72

POHAKULOA WEST             2.91   2.55