Hawaii Luxury Homes > Big Island Maps > Average Rainfall by Time of Day / Diurnal

Big Island of Hawaii Average Rainfall by Time of Day Map

The combination of large islands, intense daytime sun- as down slope winds converge with oceanic trade winds shine, and steady winds creates a climate characterized by distinct diurnal weather patterns. While all the major islands exhibit diurnal patterns, the most well defined ones appear on Hawai’i Island, where during the day breezes blow from the sea and upslope from valley bottoms, while at night breezes blow from the land, down the mountain slopes. In Hilo, at the foot of Mauna Loa, maximum precipitation occurs at night to form clouds that drift over Hilo and deposit rain. Thus, although Hilo is often cloudy and annual rainfall ranges from 133 inches (3,400 mm) at the airport to more than 300 inches (7,700 mm) at higher elevations above the city, Hilo residences are able to utilize solar water heaters, because cloudiness and rainfall are minimal at midday during peak sunlight hours.