Federated States of Micronesia

Pohnpei State:  Rainfall was abundant throughout all of Pohnpei State during 2005. On Pohnpei Island, the 2005 annual totals were near or above 200 inches at many locations around the coastal perimeter of the island. The annual total of 217.87 inches at Palikir (on the northwest side of Pohnpei Island) was the highest officially recorded value in all of Micronesia during 2005. Unofficially, the experimental UOG/CSP rain gage on top of Nahna Laud recorded over 300 inches of rain during 2005. The enormous amount of rainfall at Palikir was actually near normal at 107%. The annual rainfall total for 2005 at the Pohnpei WSO (on the north side of Pohnpei Island) was 191.05 inches (101%). On the atolls of Pohnpei State, the rainfall during 2005 was abundant, and exceeded 150 inches at all recording locations. Kapingamarangi has been wetter than normal for a long time, and continued to be very wet through its dry season and the final quarter of 2005. The current shift of the climate to weak La Niña may finally force an end to the long period of well-above normal rainfall at Kapingamarangi.