Heavy winter rains that caused severe flooding in many areas are becoming a distant memory during what is shaping up to be a very dry summer.

Rainfall totals show above-normal readings through the end of June, but most of the moisture arrived in the first part of the year. National Weather Service hydrologist Kevin Kodama characterized the recent weather as "a year of extremes."

"In December, it was very, very dry, then it got very, very wet, and now it looks like we're headed for dry conditions again," Kodama said.

The impact of the dry weather is being felt in Waimanalo, where farmers dependent on the state irrigation system are under mandatory 30 percent water conservation restrictions that limit the availability of water to three days a week.

The area received nearly 38 inches of rain over the six-month period, or about 163 percent of its normal level. However, all but about 2 inches of that fell in the first three months of the year.

"It's kind of cruel; it's either too much water or not enough," said Scott Chun of Campesino Enterprises, who knocked down about 20 percent of his banana stands when it became apparent he wouldn't be able to irrigate his entire 10 acres.

Although summer months are typically drier, Chun said, "it's kind of unusual that we haven't had any rain whatsoever in a couple of months. It doesn't even keep the dust down."

The story is similar for Maunawili Valley, the water source for the Waimanalo Irrigation System. Maunawili collected 68.5 inches of rain through the end of June, or 161 percent of normal. But less than 1 1/2 inches of rain fell over the valley last month, less than half the usual amount.

Grant Hamachi, who grows lettuce, red radishes, corn and fruit on seven acres, said he has held back planting because of the dry conditions and expects production to drop 25 percent. "We can recuperate to a certain degree (from flooding and heavy rains) when it dries up, but now with restrictions on the amount of water we can use for irrigation, it makes it more difficult," he said.

Farmers and landscapers elsewhere can simply boost their irrigation to offset the lack of rainfall, and the latest crop weather report from the state Department of Agriculture says there has been little impact from the dry weather on the availability of locally grown fruit and vegetables.

ZERO RAIN FOR WAI'ANAE

Mostly stable conditions last month hindered the development of trade-wind showers and resulted in drier-than-normal weather across most of the state, Kodama said. Even for June, it was especially dry. So dry, in fact, the rain gauge in Wai'anae recorded no measurable precipitation.

"Granted, Wai'anae usually gets very little in the way of rain, but the last time we actually saw zero measurable rainfall was back in July 2002," he said.

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply launched its annual conservation campaign to counter the higher consumption that normally occurs during the summer, but otherwise the recent dry weather has not affected domestic water supplies from O'ahu's underground aquifers, said spokeswoman Su Shin.

More than half the rain gauges on O'ahu posted rainfall totals less than 50 percent of normal in June. But because of stormy weather earlier in the year, the island's rainfall totals for the six-month period were in the near- to above-normal range at all locations.

Kaua'i has seen three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall after the excessive rains of February and March that triggered fatal flooding in Kilauea. Even Mount Wai'ale'ale, considered one of the wettest places on the planet, collected less than half its normal precipitation for June. It was still the state's wettest spot, measuring 14.5 inches of rain last month.

Most of the Maui County rain gauges recorded six-month totals at near- to above-normal amounts, but in June, five sites did not record any measurable rain, and six recorded less than 0.1 inch.

Because of the dry conditions, the county Department of Water Supply has requested voluntary water conservation in the Upcountry, West, South and Central Maui. West Moloka'i also is very dry, according to the weather service, along with Ho'olehua and Kaunakakai to a lesser extent.

Most areas on the Big Island recorded near- to below-normal totals for June with no gauges registering more than 10 inches. Kodama noted that's a significant change from May when nearly all sites showed above-normal rainfall and seven sites recorded more than 20 inches.

Through the end of June, rainfall was in the near- to above-normal range at most Big Island locations, with the Hilo, Puna and Ka'u districts showing the largest rain surpluses.

SOUTH KONA HURTING

That's not much comfort to Rick Robinson of the Gold Coast Nursery in Kealakekua in South Kona, where the six-month rainfall total is less than half the normal amount.

He said the drought has cut his bird-of-paradise flower crop by 30 percent and will result in a lower yield of the more expensive "extra-fancy" grade of coffee.

"Kona generally has reverse seasons, with more rain in the summer and drier winters. We like to get rainfall after January, February and March," but that didn't happen, Robinson said.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.