Weekly Global Climate Highlights Map for April 8, 2000

1. Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada:

UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER REPORTED
Temperatures were 2°C to 6°C above normal, with the largest weekly departures prevailing across the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Highs exceeded 20°C as far north as the St. Lawrence River, but subfreezing lows were still recorded at most locations [WARM - Up to 3 weeks].

2. Midwestern and North-Central United States:

SHORT-TERM DEFICITS REMAIN
Fewer than 30 mm of rain fell on the northern tier of states from the Dakotas eastward to Michigan, northern Illinois, and northwestern Indiana. During the past 8 weeks, precipitation totals failed to reach 75 mm, allowing short-term deficits of 50 to 100 mm to dominate the region [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].

3. Florida:

LITTLE OR NO RAIN REPORTED
Unusually dry weather persisted across Florida again last week. Since the middle of February, most of the state has received fewer than 100 mm of rain, and has been dominated by short-term moisture shortages of 100 to 200 mm [DRY - Up to 13 weeks].

4. British Isles:

DRYNESS DEVELOPS
Except for widely scattered moderate showers, little or no rain again fell over Ireland, Scotland, and northern England. Since mid February, precipitation deficits of 50 to 100 mm accumulated across the British Isles [DRY - Up to 5 weeks].

5. Central Europe:

WET WEATHER PREVAILS
Moderate to heavy precipitation (25 to 90 mm) soaked northern Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, southeastern Poland, northwestern Ukraine, and southern Belarus while dry conditions prevailed elsewhere in the region. During the last 8 weeks, amounts of 100 to 220 mm (with higher amounts of up to 475 mm in the Alps) have accumulated moisture surpluses of 50 to 150 mm across the region, except for the Alps [WET - Up to 12 weeks].

6. Central Mediterranean:

STILL VERY DRY
Dry conditions again prevailed over Sicily and adjacent islands. The area has received less than 100 mm of rain since February 13th, yielding moisture shortages of 70 to 90 mm [DRY - Up to 17 weeks].

7. Central Africa:

DRY WEATHER DOMINATES REGION
Although reliable data are lacking, 8-week precipitation shortfalls of 50 to 175 mm were recorded across the region. Reliable data are lacking for Ethiopia, but satellite imagery indicates similar dryness across the country [DRY - Up to 11 weeks].

8. Southern Africa:

MORE VERY WET WEATHER AS TROPICAL CYCLONE HUDAH MAKES LANDFALL
Between 25 and 100 mm of rain fell on southeastern Africa, with locally higher amounts (up to 200 mm) in northeastern South Africa. Heavy rains (up to 200 mm) also lashed east-central Mozambique as Tropical Cyclone Hudah moved inland and rapidly weakened. Meanwhile, between 10 and 50 mm dampened southwestern Africa during the past week. Since the middle of February, 100 to 500 mm of rain has fallen on the region, resulting in precipitation excesses of 50 to 330 mm [WET - Up to 22 weeks].

9. East-Central China:

DRYNESS CONTINUES
Little or no rain fell over east central China from southern Shaanxi Province eastward to southern Shandong and Jiangsu. Most of the area has received less than 60 mm of rain since mid February, yielding moisture shortages of 50 to 75 mm [DRY - Up to 7 weeks].

10. Southeastern Asia and the Philippines:

RAINS CONTINUE
Moderate to very heavy rains (25 to 200 mm) continued to saturate parts of southern Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. During the last 8 weeks, amounts of 185 to 510 mm have inundated the region, engendering moisture excesses of 55 to 360 mm [WET - Up to 12 weeks].

11.  Western Australia:

ABNORMALLY COOL CONDITIONS PREVAIL AS WETNESS ABATES
Temperatures averaged 2°C to 5°C again last week, with lows dropping below 10°C as far north as 29°S. The mercury failed to reach 30°C south of 30°S [COLD - Up to 9 weeks]. Except for isolated moderate showers (25 to 50 mm) in the far northwestern and southeastern sections of Western Australia, weekly precipitation totals were generally below 25 mm. During the past 8 weeks, 100 to 700 mm of rain has fallen on the region, yielding moisture surpluses of 70 to 500 mm [WET - Ending at 12 weeks].

12. Southeastern Queensland:

DRY ANOMALY DEVELOPS
Little or no rain was reported last week. The very dry weather has dominated the region since early March [DRY - Up to 5 weeks].