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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, March 5, 2010

El Nino to blame as drought conditions worsen on Big Island


Associated Press

HONOLULU — The National Weather Service says the South Kohala and leeward North Kohala areas of the Big Island have reached the most intense drought classification — D4.

It marks the first time since the inception of the drought monitor in 1999 that an area in Hawaii has received the D4 classification.
Less severe drought conditions plague other parts of the state. Only Oahu is without areas under a drought classification.
The weather service attributes the dry weather to an ongoing El Nino that’s producing dry and stable weather conditions across the state through the heart of the normal wet season. It says several gauges indicated the lowest February rainfall totals since 2000.
Forecasters are predicting below normal rainfall for Hawaii through spring.