Record Size Hail Falls in Hawaii

A freak hailstorm pelted Hawaii with golf-ball to baseball-sized chunks of hail on March 9, 2012. A 30-minute hail storm Friday over windward Oahu was “unprecedented,” for Hawaii, said Tom Birchard, senior meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu. Not only is it highly unusual for hail to fall over Hawaii, but some stones that measured as large as three inches are likely record-breaking, he said.

Here are some of the photos of hail we took from our home on Kauai

It’s the tail end of Hawaii’s rainy season. The rain is not all that unusual, but the hail and strength of the thunderstorms are unusual. The weather service estimates that the tornado had wind speeds of 60 to 70 miles per hour and stretched 20 yards wide. The twister damaged or destroyed several roofs, and toppled trees and power lines.

Here are some of the photos of hail we took from our home on Kauai