1. California:
UNUSUALLY WET WEATHER REPORTED
Pacific storms brought moderate rains (20 to 60 mm) to southern and west-central
California, with possibly heavy amounts at higher elevations (data are
lacking). Moisture surpluses since the beginning of March were generally
less than 50 mm, but excesses reached 80 mm at Santa Barbara and 143 mm
at Santa Maria [Episodic Events].
2. Southwestern United States:
COLD SPELL ABRUPTLY ENDS
An abrupt end to the cold weather was triggered by strong off-shore flow,
except along the immediate coast, where maritime air remained entrenched.
In sharp contrast to the conditions over the previous several weeks, some
daily-record high temperatures were reported as the week ended. [COLD -
Ended at 3 to 4 weeks].
3. Southeastern United States:
DRYNESS EXACERBATES WILDFIRES
Light to moderate rains (10 to 30 mm) fell on central and northeastern
Florida, but the remainder of the region received little or none. Since
the beginning of March, moisture shortages of 50 to 150 mm have accumulated
across Florida, southern Georgia, southern Alabama, southeastern Mississippi,
and extreme eastern Louisiana. As a result of the very dry weather, major
wildfires have ravaged parts of Florida [DRY - 5 to 11 weeks].
4. Northern South America:
WET WEATHER RETURNS
Torrential rains (100 to 200 mm) soaked central Colombia, 50 to 150 mm
fell on the west-central portion of the country, and up to 50 mm dampened
the remainder of Colombia. Farther east, Venezuela reported 10 to 30 mm
of rain, with locally heavier amounts of up to 70 mm. Between 90
and 550 mm of rain have drenched the region since the beginning of March,
resulting in surpluses of up to 180 mm. Locally higher precipitation excesses
included +280 mm at Puerto Carreno, Colombia and +305 mm at Guanare,
Venezuela [WET - 5 to 6 weeks].
5. Central South America:
EARLY-SEASON COLD SNAP DEVELOPS
Weekly departures of -1°C to -4°C dominated northern Argentina
and western Uruguay, with subfreezing lows reaching as far north as Santiago
del Estero, Argentina (28°S) [COLD - 2 to 3 weeks].
6. Eastern and Central Europe:
WARMTH SHIFTS EASTWARD
Temperatures averaged 3°C to 6°C above normal over much of eastern
and central Europe with temperatures reaching as high as 27°C at Oradea,
Romania (47°N) and 26°C at Nezin, Ukraine (51°N) [WARM - 3
to 7 weeks].
7. Ethiopia and Northern Kenya:
VERY DRY CONDITIONS OVERSPREAD REGION
Although 30 to 50 mm of rain fell on parts of south-central and west-central
Ethiopia, most of the country and adjacent northern Kenya received little
or none. Short-term (March 1 - April 17) precipitation shortfalls ranged
from 50 to 175 mm, with most locations receiving less than 100 mm in the
past one and a half months [DRY - 4 to 9 weeks].
8. Southern Kenya, Northern Mozambique, and Northern Madagascar:
WET ANOMALY DEVELOPS
Since the beginning of March, 180 to 445 mm of precipitation soaked the
region, resulting in moisture excesses of 60 to 170 mm [WET - 5 to 8 weeks].
9. Southern Africa:
LATE-SEASON HEAT WAVE CONTINUES
Temperatures averaged 3°C to 5°C above normal across southern Namibia,
southwestern Botswana, and the northern and interior portions of South
Africa while weekly departures of +1°C to +3°C prevailed along
the coastal regions of the country. The mercury approached 39°C at
Keetmanshoop, Namibia (27°S), and reached 31°C as far south as
Potchefstroom, South Africa (also at 27°S) [WARM - 3 to 10 weeks].
10. Northeastern Asia:
COLD ANOMALY PERSISTS
Abnormally cold air, with temperatures running 3°C to 7°C below
normal, again covered most of far western Siberia. Temperatures dipped
to -38°C at Ojmjakon, Russia (63°N) and to -31°C at Markovo,
Russia (65°N) [COLD - 3 to 7 weeks].
11. East-Central Asia:
THUNDERSTORMS BRING HEAVY RAIN
Thunderstorms drenched much of east-central China from Sichuan and Shanxi
provinces eastward to Zhejiang and Jiangsu with heavy rains of 75 to 235
mm. Heavy rain (up to 140 mm) also doused the Ryukyu Islands and
the southern coasts of the main islands of Japan. Since the first of March,
as much as 470 mm of rain has fallen on east-central China and up to 720
mm on southern Japan, yielding short-term moisture surpluses of 60 to 350
mm [WET - 4 to 9 weeks].
12. The Philippines and Southeastern Asia:
WETNESS PERSISTS
Moderate to heavy rain (20 to 210 mm) kept parts of the Philippines and
the Indochina Peninsula wet. Total precipitation since the beginning of
March includes 90 to 390 mm in Vietnam (up to 365 mm above normal), 90
to 600 mm in Thailand (up to 445 mm above normal), and 100 to 1165 mm in
the Philippines (up to 795 mm above normal) [WET - 5 to 13 weeks].