El Niño brings record low rainfall to state
Winter is supposed to be the wet season in Hawai‘i, but so far this year, that hasn’t been the case. All the islands are “abnormally dry,” according to the United States Drought Monitor, which also says the leeward areas of Kaua‘i, Maui County and the Big Island are under moderate drought. And the leeward Haleakala slopes on Maui from Kihei to Wailea are already in severe drought.
It’s a reversal from our wet summer, when Diamond Head was lush and green in September.
State climatologist and Atmospheric Sciences (ATMO) professor Pao-Shin Chu has the data to prove this is an El Niño year. Chu said the pattern follows a typical El Niño year, which also brought a record number of tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific. It also brought huge north shore swells, including the one that brought the Eddie Aikau big wave surf competition.
Read more about it and watch the video report at Hawaii News Now.