PUHI — “Everything is wet,” said Stel Pimental Saturday while watching the Kaua‘i Senior Softball matchup between the Rookies and the ‘Ohana Rebels at Puhi Park.
“The ground is wet, the ball is wet, the bat is wet — everything is wet.”
The teams battled through the windy weather that was punctuated by bouts of rain before a good-sized audience whose umbrellas blossomed when the rains fell, with the contest closing with the Rookies taking a 13-11 edge over the Rebels.
“It’s a good thing you folks were able to finish the game,” said Ernie Domingo of the Hanamaulu Hillsiders, who enjoyed a scheduled bye. “Otherwise, you folks end up having to play a double-header to make up the game.”
Three remaining contests on the calendar at Puhi were eventually called off due to the inclement weather fueled by rainfall of more than three inches at the Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale gauge.
“Due to field conditions at the Wailua Houselots Park and the Peter Rayno Park in Hanamaulu, the Eastside games have been called ‘rainout,’” said Kaua‘i Senior Softball League President Joe Bertucci. “The games are to be made up when teams are on the same field, together again, as a double-header.”
More of the same type of weather is expected in the coming days, as the National Weather Service summary calls for strong and gusty trade winds delivering passing clouds and showers through the weekend, primarily impacting windward areas, with a few brief showers spreading leeward.
The NWS Hawai‘i synopsis states that more widespread rainfall may develop Monday into Wednesday as winds remain strong and shift to the east-southeast.
Breezy trades and more typical windward and mauka-focused showers are expected to return Wednesday night through late into the week.
The blustery conditions coupled with a high-surf advisory generated by a large, northwest swell impacted the north- and west-facing shores of the Hawaiian Islands.
North-facing shores are looking at surf developing to 18 to 24 feet, and west-facing shores being hit by 12-to-16-foot waves. East-facing shores are between six to eight feet and enhanced by the strong trade winds to heights of seven to 10 feet.
These conditions drove dozens of surf enthusiasts to enjoy the Ammonia’s break at Kalapaki Beach.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
