Mount Wai ale ale ( in
"rippling water" or "overflowing water" and also
often spelt Waialeale in English without the
okina), elevation , is a shield volcano and the second highest point
on the island of Kaua
i in the Hawaiian
Averaging more than of rain a year since 1912,
with a record in 1982, its summit is considered one of the rainiest
spots on earth. It has been promoted in tourist literature
for many years as the wettest spot, although the 38-year
average at Mawsynram, Meghalaya, India is .
However, Mawsynram's rainfall is concentrated in the monsoon
season, while the rain at Wai ale ale is
more evenly distributed through the year.
Several factors give the summit of Wai ale ale more potential to
create precipitation than the rest of the island chain:
rainfall in the area produces the Alaka i
Wilderness Preserve, a large boggy area that is home
to many rare plants.
- Its northern position relative to the main Hawaiian Islands
provides more exposure to frontal systems that bring rain during
- It has a relatively round and regular conical shape, exposing
all sides of its peak to winds and the moisture that they
- Its peak lies just below the so-called trade wind inversion layer of , above which
trade-wind-produced clouds cannot rise.
- And most importantly, the steep cliffs cause the moisture-laden
air to rise rapidly - over in less than - and drop a large portion
of its rain in one spot, as opposed to spreading the rain out over
a larger area if the slope were more gradual.
The ground is so wet that although
trails exist, access by foot to the Wai ale ale area is extremely