1. Central and Eastern United States:

MOISTURE SHORTAGES PERSIST

Highly variable precipitation, with some places receiving up to 50 mm while nearby locations received none, prevailed across the central and eastern states. During the last 13 weeks, the region received less than 400 mm of precipitation, resulting in moisture shortages of 50 to 200 mm, with a few locations accumulating deficits as high as 350 mm. No regional patterns of the moisture shortfalls were apparent [DRY - Up to 24 weeks].

2. Caribbean Basin:

WARM ANOMALY WEAKENS

Temperatures were generally within 3°C of normal at most locations. Highs were generally in the thirties (°C) while lows were in the twenties (°C), except for readings below 20°C on the United States Mainland [WARM - Ending at 6 weeks].

3. North Atlantic and Western Europe:

VERY MILD WEATHER CONTINUES

Temperatures averaged 2°C to 6°C above normal across much of the region, with highs exceeding 20°C across Continental Europe. Despite the warm weather, the mercury dropped below freezing at most locations and dropped below -10°C in Iceland and Norway [WARM - Up to 3 weeks].

4. Europe:

STILL VERY DRY

Little or no precipitation was reported across the Continent as unusually dry conditions prevailed. Fewer than 200 mm of precipitation has accumulated since February 2, allowing moisture shortfalls to range from 50 to 300 mm across most of Europe [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].

5. Southeastern Europe, Middle East, and Northeastern Africa:

COLD AIR REMAINS ENTRENCHED

Temperatures averaged 2°C to 6°C below normal across the region, with weekly departures reaching -7°C in east-central Libya, and -8°C in eastern Turkey. Readings in the thirties (°C) were limited to interior portions of Libya and Egypt while the mercury failed to reach 20°C in most of Turkey and southeastern Europe. Subfreezing lows dominated southeastern Europe while the mercury plummeted below -20°C in parts of eastern Turkey [COLD - 2 weeks].

6. Eastern Asia:

LARGE WEEKLY TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES DOMINATE

Weekly temperature departures of +6°C to +11°C covered much of eastern Asian Russia and parts of northwestern China while temperatures were 2°C to 6°C above normal elsewhere. The mercury climbed above the freezing mark across most of the region, except for the northernmost fringes, but weekly lows dipped below -20°C at most locations [WARM - Up to 3 weeks].

7. Northeastern Australia:

UNUSUALLY DRY CONDITIONS RETURN

Except for light to moderate rains (10 to 50 mm) in southeastern, eastern, and extreme northern Queensland, little or no precipitation was reported. Although as much as 500 mm of rain fell on tropical coastal regions during the past 5 weeks, most of the region received less than 200 mm, allowing short-term moisture deficits to range from 50 to 200 mm, with locally larger shortages of up to 350 mm [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].

8. Tasmania:

A FAVORABLY DRY WEEK

Little or no rain fell on Tasmania during the past week, providing relief from unusually wet weather. During the past 8 weeks, precipitation totaled 120 to 180 mm, yielding short-term moisture supluses of 50 to 80 mm [WET - Ending at 7 weeks].