Weekly Global Climate Highlights

1. Texas and Adjacent Mexico:

MODERATE RAINS FALL ON SOUTHERN TEXAS, STILL VERY DRY ELSEWHERE Less than 20 mm of rain fell on northern Mexico and the northern and central portions of Texas. Moderate rains (20 to 50 mm) brought some relief to southern Texas. Moisture deficits of 100 to 200 mm accumulated across Texas during the last 8 weeks [DRY - Ending at 16 weeks].

2. Southeastern United States:

REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IRENE BRING HEAVY RAINS TO NORTH CAROLINA Between 50 and 200 mm of rain inundated eastern North Carolina and extreme northeastern South Carolina. Saturated soils and additional runoff exacerbated flooding in eastern North Carolina, resulting in another evacuation, according to the media. Across the northern coastal plains of North Carolina (Climate Division 8), the Palmer Drought Severity Index climbed from a low of around -3.0 (in mid-August) to almost +4.0 (in mid-October), and the 8-week moisture excesses ranged from 150 mm at Cape Hatteras to 520 mm at Raleigh-Durham. Elsewhere, favorably dry weather prevailed [WET - Up to 10 weeks].

3. Southern and Central South America:

EARLY-SEASON HEAT OVERSPREADS MUCH OF CONTINENT Temperatures averaged 3°C to 6°C above normal across most of Argentina and Chile, with weekly departures reaching +7°C in western Rio Negro. In addition, temperatures were 3°C to 6°C above normal in central Brazil, but weekly means were within 3°C of normal in Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. The mercury reached 30°C to 34°C in northern Argentina and southern Brazil, and soared to 40°C in northwestern Paraguay [WARM - 2 weeks].

4. East-Central South America:

STILL ABNORMALLY DRY Little or no rain fell on northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina) while light to moderate rains (10 to 50 mm) dampened southern and central Brazil from Parana northeastward through Minas Gerais. Abnormally high temperatures (see item above) exacerbated the dryness across the region. Precipitation shortfalls since late August ranged from 100 to 335 mm [DRY - Up to 15 weeks].

5. Western and Central Ethiopia:

HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE Moderate to heavy precipitation (50 to 200 mm) drenched the western and central sections of Ethiopia for the third week in a row. Since late August, 100 to 500 mm of rain have fallen on the region, resulting in precipitation surpluses as large as 325 mm in the northwestern portion of the country [WET - Up to 6 weeks].

6. Central Asia:

HIGH TEMPERATURES REMAIN Temperatures continued to average 4°C to 7°C above normal across the central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union and adjacent portions of Russia, China, Afghanistan, and Iran. Temperatures reached as high as 31°C at Ashabad, Turkmenistan (38°N) and 32°C at Sabzevar, Iran (36°N) [WARM - Up to 5 weeks].

7. India:

CYCLONE BATTERS EASTERN INDIA Tropical Cyclone 04B brought heavy rain (over 200 mm) and strong winds to Orissa, West Bengal, and northeastern Andhra Pradesh. According to media accounts, the cyclone claimed almost a hundred lives and caused widespread damage to homes and crops [Episodic Event].

8. Japan:

TEMPERATURES RETURN TO NORMAL Cooler air overspread Japan, resulting in near normal temperatures for the week [WARM - Ended at 8 weeks].

9. Eastern Australia:

WARM ANOMALY ENDS Near-normal temperatures brought the early-season heat wave to an end, but highs still reached 40°C at a few locations in southeastern Northern Territory [WARM - Ended at 4 weeks].