New Study Reveals Increasing Intensity of Short, Extreme Storms Across Hawaiian Islands
A new study conducted by University of Hawaii at Manoa researchers, published in the International Journal of Climatology, indicates that while Hawaii is experiencing an overall drier climate, short, intense downpours are becoming significantly stronger across the islands. This comprehensive analysis, spanning 50 years from 1966 to 2020 and utilizing hourly data from 117 rain gauges, reveals climate trends often missed by traditional 24-hour daily averages. The study found that common heavy rains (occurring every two years) are generally becoming less intense. However, severe storms lasting 1 to 3 hours, which typically occur only once every 20 to 100 years, are gaining intensity. Conversely, storms lasting 6 hours or longer are weakening more noticeably than shorter storms. Researchers also identified two peak vulnerability periods for extreme hourly rain events: October through December and February through March, driven primarily by cold fronts and kona lows. 
