Rains set records; Muggy weather continues
This satellite image taken Thursday morning shows Tropical Storm Ana about 745 miles north-northwest of Honolulu and rain clouds being blown over the main Hawaiian Islands by tradewinds.
Muggy conditions with a slight increase in showers are expected Thursday and Friday as light tradewinds provide slight relief, National Weather Service forecasters said.
Thursday morning brought the usual windward and mauka showers after a wet Wednesday.
Rains Wednesday set records on Kauai and Maui. The rainfall total of .34 inches at Lihue Airport broke a record for the date of .21 inches set in 2001. Kahului Airport’s .34 inches broke the old record of .25 set in 1958.
In the 24-hour period ending at 5 a.m., Manoa’s Lyon Arboretum got almost 3.8 inches of rain; 2.3 inches fell in Moanalua and 1.9 inches was recorded in upper Nuuanu. Mahinahina in West Maui got the most rain on the Valley Island with 2.9 inches and 2.1 inches fell on Mt. Waialeale on Kauai. On the Big Island, .8 inches fell on Honokaa.
The weather service said bands of moisture moving over the state brought the rains and the humidity Wednesday and will continue to bring a slight increase in showers and muggy conditions through the beginning of the weekend.
Forecasters expect a slight increase in showers Thursday night and Friday … mostly in windward and mauka areas, although some rain could develop in the afternoons in leeward sections.
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The forecast for Honolulu and southern sections of Oahu calls for a 40 to 50 percent chance of rain through Saturday as the moisture bands move over the island.
Highs will be between 82 and 88 degrees and light tradewinds of 10 mph, with higher gusts, should develop Thursday and continue through Friday night.
“It’s going to be a little more comfortable (with the return of tradewinds), but it’s definitely not going to be like, ‘Ah, refreshing breezes,” said Robert Ballard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Honolulu office.
Tradewinds will weaken over the weekend, bringing an increased chance of afternoon showers in leeward and mauka areas.
The humid weather will persist until the air dries out a bit by about Monday.
But Ballard said hot, sunny days with only a few clouds, could bring record temperatures again next week.
