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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 5:46 p.m., Monday, March 27, 2006

March rainfall sets state record

Advertiser Staff

Recent rains have set record rainfalls for the month of March on Kaua'i and O'ahu, according to the National Weather Service Honolulu.

The islands are going into its sixth week of rain due to a storm system that has been locked in place in the upper atmosphere just to the north and west of Hawai'i. The islands are in a moist and unstable area in relationship to these storms, the weather service said in a public information statement on its Web site.

Kaua'i has been hardest hit and to lesser extent O'ahu and southeast portions of the Big Island, the weather service said. On Kaua'i several records have been broken including Lihue Airport which has had nearly 42 inches of rain since Feb. 19 when this series of storms began. In March the airport has had 34 inches of rain and the record for March set in 1951 is about 14.5 inches.

On O'ahu a couple of records have been set also including in Punalu'u which had almost 45.5 inches of rain since Feb. 19 and 36 inches in March. The March record was 35.2 inches in 1920.

For much of the state, this March weather has been very much like March 1951. The upper level atmospheric patterns were remarkable similar and 1951 saw a series of heavy rain events across much of the state, the weather service said.

There was significant flooding and agricultural losses estimated at nearly $1.3 million.

For a complete list of the rain fall for this month compared to previous record March rainfalls visit the weather service Web site at www.prh.noaa.gov. See the story under Top News of the Day.