The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-14
RAINFALL.

rlaDle, Wnetner at Cl1Ierenl StdIioilS VI
at the same station, and whether in the
totals of the same months for different
years, or the totals of different years.
1t occurs under these forms: % Trade
wind rains. occurring at any time OF the
year: (2) winter storms from the south
west, as already noted; (3) spring rains
of the month of April "a July rains.
The trade winds. laden with moisture
from the North Pacific. blow during the
greater part of the year. beginning with
March: in the South Pacific they blow
during the same months. AS already
noted, the greater part OF the moisture
falls on the north and east activities OF
the mountains. from the sea level TO
their highest ranges. giving rainy eli
mate to the windward coasts and up
lands. But the precipitation is not con-
fined to the windward side: a part of it,
especially on the smaller islands, spills
over to the leeward side. Even on the
Island of Hawaii much of it falls on the
westward uplands while very little rain
gets to the westward coast itself; so that
while Iiilo, Hamakua, and Kohala dis
tricts, on the east, are deluged, the
coasts of Puma. Kau, and western koha-
Ia may be suffering from severe drought.
1t would be hard to find, in any part of
the world, more striking contrasts in the
amount of rainfall of neighboring regions
or in their :nfiuviation. The eastward
districts just named have coast-ine of
about seventy-five miles, and not less
than seventy perpetual streams: in the
other districts, including the entire south
east and nearly al! the west shores of
the island, a coast-line of 200 miles, there
is no running water-not a single stream
reaches the sea, the light soil and the
porous lavas absorbing the entire precip-
itation There are few available figures
fo;. the coast rainfall of western Hawai-,
but il is nearly nil. AT high levels on
the west side there may be heavy rain
fall yet even here the difference between
the windward and the leeward stations
| is very great. Thus, at kaumana, in the
HiIo district, on the east, at elevation
of 1850 feet, the rainfall in the year from
July, 1897 to June, 1898, reached the ex-
traordinary figure of 230S9 inches, while
| at Waimea, partially sheltered by the
Kohala range, but at an elevation OF 2fZo
| feet the rainfall was only 34.64 inches.
| The direct distance between the two
stations is forty mles. Again, at Olaa,
near the east coast elevation 1850 feeD,
and at Kailua, near the west coast (eie-
walton $50 feeD, the figures for the year
1861 were 1852 and 51.21 inches respect
| lively; and during the year 1S99-1900, at
Ookala in the Hilo district elevation 400
| feeO and at Pahala, in Puma elevation
| $50 feeO, the figures We're 1916 and 1913
| inches respectively. These stations are
| seventy miles apart.
Coming now to the smaller islands, we
shall find that their lower mountain bar
I oil. Low .,r4 Of tra II -
wind rains to reach the leeward coasts
than is the case on Hawaii; and these,
| with rains from other sources, sometimes
drench the entire island. Indeed, the
yearly precipitation may be greater on
| leeward than on the windward side; thus
at Kahuku on the north side of Oahu.
/ the precipitation for the year 1867 was
Is inches, while at Punahou, on the
south, it was 29.53 inches. In the year
1S97-9S the figures were 24.e4 inches and
25.03 inches, and in the year 1S99-19O0. 2O.45
inches and 20.95 inches. Again. as on
| Hawaii so on a smaller island the rain
| fall may be nearly extinguished at the
| leeward coast. Thus, on the east side of
Maui, in the year 1S9S-99. at Kaupo 1t
/ was S0.S7 inches while at Olowalu plan
| tation the southwest elevation 10
| feeO. 1t was but $40 inches: and here
there was rain only from December to
March. The rainfall for the year 1862
| at other stations on Maui ranged from
1876 inches at Kahului. to 1905 inches at
Puuma1n at eight stations on Oahu,
from 1914 inches at Kapiolani Park,
! near Honolulu, to $3.50 inches at
on Kauai, from 43.6S inches at Ha-
| namaulu, to 1898 inches at Hanalei
These totals OF course, include the win
ter rains and others not directly con-
nected with the trade winds
The rainfall Is thus IN places phenome-
N fhnr oil H.
sent; and 1t is very different at different
attitudes. Often, too, the monthly and
yearly averages vary greatly in the same
! place. Thus. at Honolulu. during the
nine years from 1sS7-Ss. 1S73-77, 1ss6-ST.
! the annual fall varied from 21.1 inches in
1887 to ass inches in 1888, and to 5S.4S
| inches In 1857.
| 1t will thus be seen that as to rainfall
| the Islands have a great variety of ell
| mates While some regions are almost
| rainless, others are deiuged: and still
| others, like Honolulu the chief place of
-"sort, have a moderate rainfall only
! t-s showers of an English April with the
\ nperature of an Italian June. October
J generally pleasant month. The heav-
J I rainfall of the year occurs in No
! uber and February. December and
/ .uary are variable months, fair wealth
! sometimes prevailing throughout
( S-metimt rain from the north. March
and April are marked by the rains that
set in with the coming trades-on the
northwest coast OF Hawaii. as we have
seen, these are very continuous and
heavy. and more marked on Hawaii thar
on Oahu With May the HawaiianS SAY
| ''puka iwaho,' come out into fair wealth
er- When clouds hang over the sea ano
1t Is clear on the high mountains, the.
| expect rain; and. conversely. fine wealth
er when the mountains are clouded an
there is clear space over the sea Jun
| ie. a fine hut %ha
teal sun comes a somewhat higher mid
day heat and less wind but the night
| are cool. The July rains are trade win
rains. and the natives call them "n1aIa
ma ino," bad months, for canoe voyae
! ing and channel trips QyonS.)