Drought conditions increase for portions of state

HONOLULU (KHON2) - Localized gentle land and sea breezes have ruled many communities' late week diurnal wind patterns in the absence of stronger large scale flow.

These breezes have produced more efficient cloud growth and shower development over better wind- protected leeward and interior areas such as Big Island's Kona regions.

As surface high pressure gradually strengthens and drifts westward north of the state the next couple of days, the tighter pressure gradient back toward the islands will result in a return of more areawide breezy trades.

Recent spotty brushfires are a reminder of the recently dry statewide conditions.

Below normal rainfall and higher seasonable temperatures have resulted in an increase of drought coverage and intensity since the early July.

The majority of the islands are under moderate drought conditions with southern Maui (east of Maalaea Bay) experiencing extreme drought.

Recent afternoon minimum relative humidities have consistently been falling below 50% during the heat of the day.

One of the fire weather indices such as the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KDBI) is a tool that is used to better determine the fire weather threat.

This index has been on the rise and will likely exceed fire weather threat thresholds by the end of August.

This index employs such factors as locally drying fuels, strong winds and lower relative humidities that, in combinat...