Halfway into the dry season for most of Hawaii, 11 Big Island sites experienced their wettest June on record, according to the National Weather Service.

Most prominent among those sites are: Hakalau, with 19.75 inches, seven times its usual June rainfall; Honokaa, with 19.55 inches, four times its June norm; Pahala, with 10.95 inches, five times its June average; and Kapapala Ranch, with 10.68 inches, almost seven times its normal June.

“I was struck by how wet it has been over the past couple of months,” wrote Kevin Kodama, retired National Weather Service Honolulu senior service hydrologist, in his Mauka Showers blog. “… So what produced all this rain? In a broad sense, we’ve had wetter than usual trade winds, including a few trade wind disturbances that boosted rainfall amounts along the windward slopes of the state.”

No windward Big Island spots reported below average rainfall for the month.

Hilo International Airport measured 11.39 inches, 56% above its normal June. Glenwood and Mountain View recorded 20.42 and 19.41 inches, respectively, while Pahoa reported 11.16 inches.

“Looking at Hilo airport’s data from June, the number of days with measurable rain, at least 0.01 inches, was right around normal — 25 days compared to a long-term average of 25.4 days — but the amount of rain per day was well above normal, 0.38 inches per day vs. a long-term average of 0.24 inches per day,” Kodama noted.

“The windward coast and upper slope areas, as well as much of the Puna and Ka‘u districts, fared the best in June, with well above average rainfall in most spots,” said Tina Stall, National Weather Service Honolulu hydrologist. “Much of the Kona and Kohala District coast and slopes, as well as the interior higher elevations, came in below average.”

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Keahole, which averages less than an inch of rain in June, came in bone dry for the month at 0.04 inches, just 5% of its norm.

Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park had less than a quarter-inch of rain, 14% of its June average.

Unlike most of the state, the Kona coffee belt has its wet season in the summer. Two of the four coffee belt gauges — Honaunau with 6.25 inches and Waiaha with 5.39 inches — experienced a normal June. Kealakekua and Kainaliu, with 3.75 inches and 3.6 inches, respectively, were both at 62% of normal June rainfall.

The year-to-date totals for the first half of 2026 were almost all at or above normal levels.

Unsurprisingly, the most robust rainfall totals for the year were recorded on the windward side of the island.

Glenwood, in the upper Puna rainforest, had the highest rainfall total among populated areas with 125.52 inches, almost 10 inches above average.

Mountain View reported 108.22 inches, 29% above its norm for the first six months. And Waiakea Experimental Station, in the foothills above Hilo, registered 108.22 inches — 30% more than its average.

In Ka‘u, the precipitation was equally striking. Pahala received 76.44 inches and Kapapala Ranch recorded 70.9 inches — in both cases, more than twice the normal rainfall for January through June.

Even on the drier leeward side, all but two gauges recorded average or above average rainfall for the year-to-date. Puuanahulu, in the North Kona hills, received 12.04 inches of rain in the first six months, 85% of its norm, and Puhe, just south of Kawaihae on the Kohala Coast, had just 3.7 inches, or 64% of its normal rainfall for the first half of the year.

Kona airport received 9.52 inches of rain for the year, exactly 4 inches more than its half-year average, and the four Kona coffee-belt gauges all have recorded significantly higher-than-average rainfall totals, with Honaunau leading the way at 43.07 inches, 69% above its norm.

No drought remains on the Big Island, although the U.S. Drought Monitor listed 22.69% of the island as abnormally dry — with the parched areas occurring on Daniel K. Inouye Highway and along a portion of the Kohala coastline.

The bountiful rainfall is likely to end at some point in the intermediate future. The Central Pacific Basin is currently experiencing El Nino conditions, a natural climate pattern in which warmer than normal ocean surface temperatures significantly alter the weather.

“The strengthening El Nino will probably be the primary driver of rainfall conditions through the rest of the dry season and into early next year,” Kodama said, adding a computer model posted July 8 “shows probabilities favoring above normal rainfall through the rest of the dry season.”

“The last time we had a very strong El Nino was in 2015,” he noted. “It helped produce the wettest dry season in 30 years and conditions remained fairly wet into mid-December before the El Nino dry pattern finally established itself. If the models are right, this year’s event could bring an earlier start to El Nino-related statewide drought conditions.

“Once established, these conditions will likely persist into the spring of 2027.”

Email John Burnett at john.burnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.

The 51st episode of lava fountaining in Halemaumau at the summit of Kilauea volcano began at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

In its 10:30 a.m. Volcano Update, HVO stated that the fountains were reaching heights of about 950 feet above ground level from the north vent. No flows or lava fountaining are erupting from the south vent. Effusion rates reached a peak of 400 cubic yards per second.

All lava flows are confined to the Halemaumau crater within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Sensors indicated that winds are blowing at 5-10 mph from the east-northeast direction. HVO notes that this suggests that volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material may be distributed in the west-southwest direction from Halemaumau. This means that it’s possible that wind may carry tephra toward the Kau District, including the communities of Pahala and Naalehu, as well as onto Highway 11 southwest of Volcano. Tephra fall is greatest within three miles of the vents, and lighter ash and Pele’s Hair may stay suspended for large distances from the vents.

As of HVO’s 10:30 a.m. update, very light fall of Pele’s Hair was reported from the Kau Desert trailhead along Highway 11. There were no reports of tephra falling in Pahala or anywhere outside of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement regarding the potential impacts from Episode 51’s wind-blown tephra. NWS reported that the plume from this eruption is reaching 18,000 feet above sea level and the low-level winds from the east-northeast would move the plume southwest, towards Pahala. High-level winds from the south would move the higher plume over communities adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

This story will be udpated.

A 37-year-old Paauilo man told police he had walked to the home of an acquaintance the evening of July 9 and the acquaintance chased him off the property, firing at least five shots at him and hitting him in the head.

The victim, Kawika Lundburg, identified 44-year-old Kawika Souza as the man who shot him, according to court documents filed by police.

The documents don’t state why Lundburg — who was contacted by officers while receiving treatment at North Hawaii Community Hospital for a skull fracture and related injuries — went to Souza’s house on Lower Cane Haul Road.

Lundburg said two other men were present on the property — 67-year-old Gary Dias-Souza and another he reportedly identified as Jim Robinson.

Lundburg allegedly told police that when he arrived, Souza yelled at him to “get the f—-k out of here” and “f—-k you” and started chasing him with a .22 caliber silver handgun.

Lundburg allegedly told police that Dias-Souza yelled something to the effect of, “Shoot him! Shoot that f—ka!”

Lundburg reportedly said he dived over the property gate into high grass and removed his bloody clothes because they were too heavy. He passed out for awhile before recovering enough to make his way home naked.

Robinson told police that he arrived at Souza’s house with Dias-Souza, a friend of Souza’s. He reportedly told officers that when Lundburg arrived, an altercation between him and Souza ensued.

Robinson told officers Dias-Souza exited Robinson’s vehicle to join Souza’s pursuit of Lundburg, the documents state. Robinson allegedly didn’t see a firearm but reportedly told police that from inside his vehicle, he heard about eight gunshots.

He also allegedly heard Dias-Souza say something to Souza like, “Did you hit him?” and “You’ve got to pick up the casings.”

Detectives executed search warrants related to the incident, discovering a loaded .22-caliber Winchester rifle, unspent .22-caliber ammunition, several spent .22-caliber shell casings and additional evidence.

Documents state Souza requested a lawyer and no statement was taken.

Dias-Souza reportedly told police that Souza didn’t chase Lundburg,and the altercation stemmed from a prior incident in which Lundburg stole a vehicle and left it on Souza’s property to frame him.

Documents state that Dias-Souza denied instructing Souza to shoot Lundburg and later changed his story to state that there was no altercation and that Lundburg ran for no apparent reason.

Souza was charged with attempted second-degree murder, using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, and two counts of prohibited possession of a firearm and ammunition. His bail was set at $1.64 million.

Dias-Souza was charged with solicitation of murder. His bail was set at $100,000.

Both made their initial appearances Tuesday in Hilo District Court.

Brandon Segal, Souza’s court-appointed attorney, asked Judge Jeffrey Hawk to reduce his client’s bail.

“My client is indigent. I believe that bail currently is well in excess of $1 million. We’re asking for a bail that’ll secure his appearance in court. I’m going to ask to reduce that down at this time to $250,000,” Segal said.

Deputy Prosecutor Dwane Tegman objected to any bail reduction for Souza, citing a pretrial bail study that recommended against supervised release — a form of cashless bail.

“I would note, also, in that pretrial bail report the defendant has admitted to recent drug use,” Tegman said. “The state would note that the defendant … does have several prior convictions for violent misdemeanor offenses including abuse and assault. He also has three prior convictions for contempt of court, suggesting to the state that the defendant poses a flight risk.

“The allegations in this case are obviously very serious. The defendant is alleged to have opened fire on the complainant, hitting him at least once in the head area, causing skull fractures. He fired approximately five times. He was prohibited from even having a firearm due to his prior violence convictions.”

Tegman also asked Hawk to impose electronic monitoring and house arrest on Souza, should he post bail, and Segal objected.

“Should he be able to post the bail in this case then … asking for house arrest (and) electronic monitoring, those are not tied to the critical factor of securing his appearance in court,” Segal said. “So, we object to any additional factors or additional requirements or conditions that would require him to remain, essentially in custody … if he is able to post bail.”

Hawk told Souza he has “significant public safety concerns regarding the allegations in the case.”

“Accordingly, I’m not going to grant any sort of release in the case. I’m going to deny the request for reduction of bail at this point,” the judge said. “You will be subject to electronic monitoring and house arrest if you’re able to bail out.”

Deputy Public Defender Paul Billison said Dias-Souza makes about $1,500 a month, mostly from selling fruit, and requested that Hawk free Dias-Souza on supervised release or to reduce his bail to $50,000.

Hawk maintained bail as previously set for Dias-Souza, and ordered both men to return Thursday for a preliminary hearing.

The most serious charges for both men — second-degree attempted murder for Souza and criminal solicitation of murder for Dias-Souza — carry mandatory penalties of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, upon conviction.

Both men remain in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.

Email John Burnett at john.burnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.