Weekly Global Climate Highlights Map for May 11, 2002

1. North America:

COLD AIR REMAINS ENTRENCHED
Temperatures averaged 6°C to 9°C below normal from southern Northwest Territories southward through Montana and the Dakotas while reading were generally 2°C to 6°C below normal elsewhere. Temperatures plummeted below -20°C across portions of the Northwest Territories and northern sections of the Prairie Provinces while subfreezing lows covered the remainder of the region. The mercury failed to reach 20°C across most of the region, except for Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota [COLD - Up to 11 weeks].

2. Southern United States:

WARM ANOMALY COVERS MOST OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
Temperatures averaged 2°C to 6°C above normal across the southern United States from southern Texas eastward to Florida. Highs were generally in the thirties (°C) while lows ranged from around 15°C to 25°C [WARM - Up to 5 weeks].

3. Southwestern Brazil:

ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES PREVAIL
Weekly temperature departures ranged from +2°C to +5°C across most of southwestern Brazil, with highs ranging from 25°C to 36°C [WARM - Up to 11 weeks].

4. Northern Europe:

MORE VERY WARM WEATHER
Temperatures were 2°C to 7°C above normal from Slovakia and the Czech Republic northward to northern Scandinavia. Highs climbed to 20°C as far north as the central portions of Norway and Sweden while subfreezing lows were restricted to Norway, Sweden, Finland, and northern European Russia [WARM - Up to 6 weeks].

5. France:

SCATTERED SHOWERS BRING LIMITED RELIEF
Light to moderate rain showers (10 to 50 mm) dampened parts of central and southern France, but little or no precipitation was observed elsewhere. Fewer than 140 mm of precipitation accumulated during the last 8 weeks, resulting in short-term moisture deficits of 50 to 130 mm [DRY - Up to 10 weeks].

6. Western India:

HIGH TEMPERATURES DOMINATE
Weekly temperature departures ranged from +2°C to +5°C throughout western India, with highs ranging from 40°C to 48°C at most locations. The mercury remained above 20°C across the entire region [WARM - Up to 5 weeks].

7. China:

WET WEATHER CONTINUES
Moderate to heavy rains (50 to 200 mm) soaked much of central and eastern China from Guizhou and eastern Sichuan eastward to Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Fujian. Between 100 and 625 mm of precipitation has fallen on the region during the past 8 weeks, yielding moisture surpluses of 50 to 250 mm [WET - Up to 7 weeks].

8. Central China:

UNUSUALLY COLD CONDITIONS PERSIST
Temperatures were generally 2°C to 5°C below normal in parts of Hunan, Hubei, and Henan Provinces of central China, with lows ranging from 5°C to 15°C. Highs above 30°C were limited to the western portions of Hubei and Henan [COLD - Up to 3 weeks].