CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM A couple sought cover from a heavy downpour yesterday afternoon at the Kapahulu Groin in Waikiki. A combination of inclement weather and the broken sewage main made visitor traffic sparse along the beach. CLICK FOR LARGE

Faint hope for sunshine on Wednesday's horizon

Thunderstorms and showers are predicted to hit the isles today

Hawaii residents and visitors might see some sunshine by Wednesday next week, "but I wouldn't count on it," National Weather Service Lead Forecaster Bob Farrell said last night.

Until then, there won't be a whole lot of sunshine because the trough northwest of Hawaii is not expected to move east until Wednesday, he said.

A flash flood watch is expected to remain in effect until tomorrow evening for all islands.

Showers, some locally heavy, and thunderstorms are in the forecast for today.

It is hard to tell where it will occur, Farrell said.

The weather might clear this morning, "but it will come back, believe me," he insisted.

The Big Island is getting the least of the bad weather but will get its turn, Farrell said.

The anticipated precipitation includes snowfall on the summits of the Big Island and could even "brush Haleakala" on Maui late Saturday or Sunday, he said.

The rainy weather has been dousing the islands since mid-February.

Weather service forecasters blame an upper-atmosphere weather pattern that "has been relatively locked in place" with several storm systems forming to the north and west of the islands.

Much of Oahu had steady rain through much of the day, but Maui County seemed to bear the brunt of the storm last night.

Rain totals for the 24-hour period ending at 8 p.m. included 1.24 inches for Lanai City, 1.70 for Kahului Airport and 1.36 inches for Wailuku.