Drought conditions persist in several areas of the state, particularly in Hawaii County.
The state had a "decent wet season," said National Weather Service hydrologist Kevin Kodama, particularly around June, when flash flood warnings were issued.
"But (it) didn’t completely pull out of drought conditions," said Kodama, citing the brush fires that erupted in recent months.
"When August and September rolled around, most of the state was pretty dry," he said.
A drought report last week from the weather service described "extreme drought" on Hawaii island, particularly in the lower area of South Kohala, leeward North Kohala and the southern end of the Kau district.
The U.S Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency reports that various areas of Hawaii island have experienced a 30 percent to 100 percent loss of forage plants for livestock.
"Many rangers have already destocked cattle and water hauling operations have been ongoing for several months," the report states. Yields for tangerines, oranges and pomelos are down an average of 50 percent.
Maui County remains under severe drought over the leeward Haleakala slopes from Kamaole to Ulupalakua. Upcountry and Kaupo areas, as well as Lanai and west Molokai, are under moderate drought.
Kauai has been spared drought conditions.
On Oahu, the water supply at the Waimanalo Reservoir has dropped more than 25 feet since earlier this year. The state Department of Agriculture is maintaining a 10 percent cutback in irrigation water use.
Kodama said many locations around the state have been under drought conditions since 2008.
Oahu may get drier in the future, too, according to a recent study by scientists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
The study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, said that although Oahu will see rain more frequently, rainfall intensity will decrease in the next 30 years.
The study used data from 16 rain gauges collected for the past 30 years. For example, the rain gauge at Honolulu Airport has collected an average of 78.5 inches annually. But by 2040, that could fall to 64.4 inches, the report said.
The study also used a statistical model and general circulation models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. General circulation models are used to understand climate change.
"For Oahu, overall we do see there is an increasing trend for drying," said Pau-Shin Chu, a UH-Manoa meteorology professor who is also director of the Hawaii State Climate Office and co-author of the study. "Over the last 100 years, Hawaii has experienced a downward trend in rainfall."
Chu said the study was conducted for local agencies concerned with floods, and for making policy when it comes to climate change.
"For instance, changes in rainstorm intensity may be a serious consideration in aquifer management, as precipitation is the primary water source for streams and groundwater supply," he said.
