Weekly Global Climate Highlights Map for October 14, 2000

1. Southwestern United States:

COOL AIR ENDS WARM ANOMALY
Cool air settled across the western United States, bringing an end to the unusually warm weather that dominated the region for 3 months. Highs above 30°C were restricted to central Arizona and the southern portions of California and Colorado while subfreezing lows pushed as far south as north-central Arizona [WARM - Ended at 13 weeks].

2. South-Central United States:

ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS PREVAIL
Scanty rainfall (less than 25 mm) dominated most of Texas and Oklahoma; however, scattered moderate to heavy showers yielded 25 to 100 mm of rain in central Texas and along parts of the Rio Grande River. The region received less than 80 mm of rain during the past 8 weeks, resulting in precipitation shortfalls of 60 to 170 mm [DRY - Up to 27 weeks].

3. East-Central United States:

A RELATIVELY DRY WEEK
Little or no rain fell on the Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Despite the favorable dry week, between 190 and 260 mm of precipitation has fallen on the region during the last 8 weeks, allowing moisture excesses of 50 to 120 mm to accumulate [WET - Up to 7 weeks].

4. Southern South America:

COLD POCKETS REMAIN
Although temperatures were within 2°C of normal across most of the regions, scattered locations reported departures of -3°C, and subfreezing lows dominated Argentina south of 40°S, and highs failed to reach 20°C at most interior locations [COLD - Up to 9 weeks].

5. Uruguay and Argentina:

FAVORABLY DRY WEATHER REPORTED
Fewer than 25 mm of rain was reported across the region, except for moderate to heavy precipitation (25 to 100 mm) in northern Uruguay and southeastern Buenos Aires province of Argentina. During the last 8 weeks, between 150 and 360 mm of precipitation fell on Uruguay and Argentina, yielding moisture surpluses of 50 to 150 mm [WET - Up to 9 weeks].

6. Western Europe:

MORE STORMS
Storms drenched Europe from the British Isles southward to northern Spain and southeastward to northern Italy with moderate to heavy rain (25 to 160 mm). During the last 8 weeks, 150 to 300 mm (up to 500 mm in the higher elevations) has fallen, allowing moisture surpluses to range from 50 to 125 mm [WET - Up to 7 weeks].

7. Northern Europe:

DRYNESS PERSISTS
Little or no rain fell on northern and central Finland and the northwestern corner of Russia, and less than 75 mm of rain  has fallen on the region during the past 8 weeks, but moisture shortages remained below 100 mm. Light to moderate showers (10 to 30 mm), however, eased dryness across southern Finland and Estonia [DRY - Up to 11 weeks].

8. Central China:

WARM ANOMALY PERSISTS
Weekly departures of +2°C to +4°C dominated central China as unseasonably warm weather continued last week. Highs ranged from 17°C in north-central China to 34°C in southern sections of the country. Subfreezing lows were confined to interior sections of China north of 35°N [WARM - Up to 18 weeks].

9. Northern Japan:

WETNESS CONTINUES
Thunderstorms soaked much of Japan's Hokkaido Island with moderate to heavy rain (25 to 120 mm). During the last 8 weeks, 350 to 630 mm of precipitation generated moisture excesses of 80 to 365 mm [WET - Up to 8 weeks].

10. Eastern Asia:

STILL UNUSUALLY WARM
Temperatures averaged 3°C to 5°C above normal across the interior portions of Siberia and central sections of Honshu Island of Japan while weekly departures of +2°C to +3°C prevailed elsewhere. Above-normal temperatures, with highs of 0°C to 13°C covered eastern Siberia, while highs ranged from 18°C in northern Japan to 31°C on the Ryukyus. Subfreezing lows were restricted to Siberia [WARM - Up to 18 weeks].