Unusual Weather We're Having

This has been an unusual winter in Hawaii. Having lived here for more than 11.5 years, I have never experienced a winter quite like this. I have gone through 4 blackouts here in the Olomana community in Kailua because of lightning, high winds, and lots of rain. Whew! Oh well, I am sure that my buds on the mainland would have preferred what was happening here than going through the bitter cold and snow.

So, here's an explanation as to why we have been experiencing this unusual weather:

Hawaii has been hit with some unusual weather lately. On top of recent reports of hail, a tornado hit Lanai at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Traylor Brother’s company reported one of its construction trailers was destroyed and two others were lifted off their foundation at the Kau-mala-pau Harbor.

Serena Kaldi, 18, from Kaneohe, was born and raised in Hawaii and said the heavy dose of wintry weather has caught her by surprise.

“Every other day it seems to be like thunderstorms and lightning,” she said. “At home, thunder was shaking my house and I’ve never seen it like this before.”

Andy Rodriguez, 63, however, said he’s seen the rainy conditions plenty of times.

“It’s always rained here,” Rodriguez said.

KITV 4 News’ Dan Meisenzahl spoke with one weather expert to bring some light to the unusual weather.

“In normal times, it would come for a day or two, then move out,” said Nezette Rydell, with the
National Weather Service. “For a number of reasons, globally this winter, the pattern has remained static, and this low-pressure system is not moving out.”

Rydell said the persistent low-pressure system northwest of the islands is causing the strange conditions.

“It is creating more instability in the atmosphere, allowing the thunderstorms to grow to sizes and heights that we don’t normally see in Hawaii,” Rydell said.

Rydell said the conditions would stay around until next week.