Hail falls amid O'ahu thunder
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
A brief but strong thunderstorm drenched parts of Central O'ahu yesterday and dropped pencil-eraser size hail on Wahiawa.
Deborah Booker • Honolulu Advertiser
Much of Central O'ahu was under a flash-flood warning for several hours yesterday afternoon as the skies roared with thunder and lightning flashed. National Weather Service lead forecaster Jeff Powell said nearly 3 inches of rain fell over west and central O'ahu between 1 and 4 p.m.
The heavy rains yesterday left puddles at Costco and many other parts of Central O'ahu.
There were no reports of major flooding or property damage caused by the sudden downpour.
Thundershowers also were reported over Kaua'i, Moloka'i and portions of Maui and the Big Island.
"It was pretty alarming for a small area of southwest O'ahu so we ended up issuing a (flash-flood) warning," Powell said.
The hail was reported at about 1:20 yesterday afternoon in Wahiawa. Powell said hail is "rare any time of the year for Hawai'i."
"A man who reported it was driving and he thought it was insects at first. Then he realized it was small bits of hail," Powell said.
