Weekly Global Climate Highlights Map for September 30, 2000

1. Southwestern United States:

WARM ANOMALY ABATES
Temperatures were within 2°C of normal across the desert Southwest, except for central and southern Arizona, where weekly departures exceeded +3°C. The mercury climbed to 39°C at Phoenix, AZ (33°N), but subfreezing lows were reported across northern Arizona [WARM - Ending at 11 weeks].

2. South-Central United States:

STILL VERY DRY
Scattered moderate to heavy showers (25 to 100 mm) were restricted to parts of central and northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma while the remainder of the region received fewer than 25 mm of rain. Precipitation totals for the last 8 weeks were below 100 mm, with shortfalls ranging from 50 to 200 mm [DRY - Up to 25 weeks].

3. Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States:

COOL AND WET WEATHER DOMINATES
Temperatures averaged 2°C to 5°C below normal last week, with subfreezing lows as far south as central portions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Readings remained below 30°C during the entire week [COLD - 2 weeks]. Moderate to heavy rains (50 to 100 mm) soaked much of Maryland, Delaware, and southern New Jersey. Precipitation totals (moisture surpluses) for the last 8 weeks ranged from 100 to 400 mm (+50 to +185 mm) [WET - Up to 5 weeks].

4. Central Chile:

MOISTURE SURPLUSES REMAIN HIGH
Little or no precipitation fell on central Chile; however, 8-week moisture surpluses still ranged from 50 to 250 mm [WET - Up to 7 weeks].

5. Uruguay:

FAVORABLY DRY CONDITIONS REPORTED
Pleasantly dry weather, with little or no rain, prevailed across Uruguay. Since early August, between 100 and 330 mm of rain has fallen, resulting in moisture excesses of 50 to 110 mm [WET - Up to 6 weeks].

6. Argentina:

NEAR-NORMAL TEMPERATURES PREVAIL
Weekly mean temperatures were within 2°C of normal during the past week; however, subfreezing lows dominated the region while highs failed to reach 30°C [COLD - Ended at 7 weeks].

7. British Isles:

WETNESS DEVELOPS
Storms drenched much of England and Wales with moderate to heavy rain (25 to 100 mm). During the last 8 weeks, 160 to 330 mm has fallen on the area, creating moisture excesses of 60 to 110 mm [WET - Up to 5 weeks].

8. Northern Europe:

DRYNESS PERSISTS
Little or no rain again fell across most of Scandinavia and the Baltics. Fewer than 100 mm of precipitation has fallen in much of the region during the last 8 weeks, allowing moisture deficits of up to 140 mm to accumulate [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].

9. East-Central Asia:

WARM ANOMALY REMAINS
Temperature departures of +3°C to +6°C again covered eastern Mongolia, southeastern Siberia, the northeastern quarter of China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. The mercury climbed to 28°C at Choibalsan, Mongolia (48°N) [WARM - Up to 17 weeks].

10. Northern Japan:

WETNESS CONTINUES
Thunderstorms soaked Japan's Hokkaido Island with moderate to heavy rain (25 to 150 mm). Between 300 and 600 mm of rain has fallen since August 6th, yielding moisture surpluses of 60 to 280 mm [WET - Up to 6 weeks].

11.  Southeastern China:

SCATTERED RAINS EASE DRYNESS
Moderate rains of 25 to 40 mm brought relief to parts of southeastern China from southern Guangxi northeastward to Zhejiang. Little or no rain, however,  fell on the remainder of the area. Moisture deficits of 50 to 375 mm have accumulated since early August throughout the region [DRY - Up to 8 weeks].

12. Australia:

EARLY-SEASON HEAT WAVE
Weekly departures of +6°C to +7°C dominated northern South Australia, southern Queensland, and northwestern New South Wales, with highs reaching 40°C in west-central Queensland, and readings above 30°C across the remainder of the region [WARM - Up to 3 weeks].

13. Victoria, Australia:

UNUSUALLY WET CONDITIONS DEVELOP
Moderate rains (25 to 50 mm) fell on southwestern Victoria while heavier amounts (50 to 100 mm) soaked eastern sections of the province. Between 300 and 470 mm of rain has fallen on coastal Victoria during the last 8 weeks, yielding moisture surpluses of 120 to 270 mm [WET - Up to 9 weeks].