Wet weather in August has alleviated severe drought conditions that plagued parts of Maui and Kauai.

Ranchers who bore the brunt of the drought say the rainfall has helped greatly with grass regrowth on dry pasturelands.

Diane Ley, state executive director for the Farm Service Agency, said, "They were good solid rains that certainly helped turn the page on dry conditions."

The National Weather Service reported Thursday that record-breaking rainfall has eased severe drought along the southern slopes on Kauai and Maui, upgrading the drought category to moderate as pastures in those areas have started to recover.

Still, farmers and ranchers are bracing for winter as below-level rainfall is predicted due to El Nino conditions that are strongly linked to drought conditions in Hawaii.

Bob Farias Sr. of Farias Cattle Co. on Kauai said, "We’re at the mercy of nature. We just have to keep our herd size at a manageable amount."

Senior hydrologist Kevin Kodama of the National Weather Service said that vegetation and pasture conditions have started to improve on Maui, but more rain is needed to fully recover.

Ley said, "You get these bursts of heavy rain. It takes plants a while to respond," adding consistency is ideal. "You want a balance between rain and sun for good plant growth."

Bobby Ferreira, manager of Kaupo Ranch in the southern region of Maui, said rainfall has helped grass re-sprout on pasturelands but is withholding his elation because the Kaupo area is prone to strong tradewinds that could bring back dry conditions.

Grass comes back fast but could disappear just as quickly, said Ferreira. Follow-up rainfall is needed, ideally light rain once or twice a week, he added.

On Kauai, Kodama reported vegetation and pasture conditions have also improved, and grass has started to regrow but remains short.

Farias said grass is regrowing rapidly at his pastures.

"Right now it’s growing more than we really needed. … It’s overwhelming right now."