If you're headed to Hawaii or Florida this week for spring break, be sure to pack the rain gear.
Two of the USA's prime vacation spots are forecast to see a very wet, stormy week ahead, with flooding rains in both states.
In Hawaii, the rain will be unwelcome, as this will be the third major rainstorm in three weeks. However, drought-stricken Florida will mostly welcome the rain until the flooding begins.
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Kona storm in Hawaii
Forecasters say the third Kona storm in three weeks will impact Hawaii this week, so the risk of flash flooding and mudslides will be high across the Hawaiian Islands,AccuWeather said.
A kona storm, or a kona low, is a "major weather producer" in Hawaii, theNational Weather Servicesaid. The word "kona" means leeward, or the side of the islands that is usually sheltered from trade winds and rainfall.
But a kona storm, a type of seasonal subtropical cyclone, brings warmer, moisture-rich winds from the south to southwest, which can bring torrential rainfall, according to the weather service.
Rainfall totals may mirror the March 19-22 storm, whichdumped 3-4 inches in Honolulu, following an earlier March 10-15 event that produced nearly 10 inches, AccuWeather reported. Combined rainfall from those two storms reached nearly six times Honolulu’s historical average precipitation for March.
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The weather service said this system is expected to draw deep tropical moisture northward over the state, leading to an extended period of moderate to breezy southerly winds, increasing chances for widespread rainfall, and renewed flooding concerns from late Tuesday March 7 through next weekend.
"While there has been a bit more of a gap since the storm that wrapped up on March 21, the ground is still wet, and runoff from the new storm will be swift," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson, in an e-mail to USA TODAY.
Drought-easing rains in Florida
A prolonged rain event will bring much-needed drought relief across Florida this week, AccuWeather said, while also introducing localized flooding and coastal hazards. The storm will bring repeated thunderstorms, strong onshore winds and dangerous beach conditions through midweek,AccuWeather said.
The slow-moving storm will bring widespread rain and thunderstorms from Monday, April 6, through Thursday, April 9, targeting drought-stricken areas across the state. These thunderstorms and downpours can impact the cities of Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, according to AccuWeather.
Most of South Florida and the Atlantic Coast are expected to receive 1-2 inches of rain, with localized totals of 4-6 inches from repeated thunderstorms. Some areas have recorded only one-quarter to one-third of their historical average precipitation since Jan. 1, contributing to the state’s worst drought in 25 years. Nearly 80% of Florida is in extreme drought, according to the latestU.S. Drought Monitor.
"Our team of forecasters expects 1-2 inches of rain along the Florida Atlantic coast and across much of South Florida from Monday to Thursday, which will be good news for areas under severe to extreme drought," Anderson said. "However, some locations could see repeating thunderstorms deliver 4-6 inches of rain, which may lead to flooding in poor drainage areas.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Heavy rain, floods to plague Hawaii, Florida this week