La Nina means near to above average rain forecast for Hawaii
NOAA CLIMATE.GOV
This map shows differences from the average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific last month compared to the average between 1971 and 2000. Areas in red are hotter than average,while areas in blue are cooler than average.
The National Weather Service says Hawaii will likely have near to above average rainfall this winter.
The agency said Thursday areas of leeward Kauai and leeward Maui that are still in drought will probably recover.
One factor behind the outlook is a La Nina that is forming. La Nina is a cooling of the central Pacific that affects weather around the globe.
It’s the flip side of El Nino, which is a natural warming of the central Pacific. Last year, El Nino conditions delivered Hawaii’s fifth driest wet season in the last 30 years and a record-setting hurricane season.
Forecasters say this winter’s La Nina may not last long. There’s only a 55 percent change it will persist through the winter.
