Weekly Global Climate Highlights Map for May 25, 2002

1. Southwestern Canada and Northwestern United States:

LIGHT RAINS REPORTED
Between 10 and 50 mm of rain brought limited relief from the recent dryness. But 4-week precipitation totals (up to 100 mm) still remained in the lowest 10% of the climatological distribution (See the United States Drought Monitor for more details) [DRY - Up to 6 weeks].

2. South-Central United States:

STILL VERY DRY
Light to moderate rains showers delivered 10 to 50 mm of rain to scattered portions of Texas and Oklahoma, but most of the south-central United States received little or no rain. Fewer than 150 mm of rain fell since the beginning of April, resulting in short-term moisture deficits of 50 to 160 mm (See the United States Drought Monitor for more details) [DRY - Up to 7 weeks].

3. Northeastern United States:

PRECIPITATION EASES
Moderate rain showers (25 to 50 mm) were limited to central and western Missouri and isolated parts of northeastern Indiana and northern Ohio, with fewer than 25 mm of rain elsewhere. During the last 8 weeks, precipitation totaled 100 to 350 mm, resulting in short-term moisture surpluses of 50 to 150 mm [WET - Up to 7 weeks].

4. North America:

COLD ANOMALY PUSHES EASTWARD
Unusually cold Canadian air, characterized by weekly temperature departures of -2°C to -7°C, trekked across much of the central and eastern United States and eastern Canada. Subfreezing lows were reported as far south as southwestern Virginia and covered most of the United States north of 40°N. Temperatures moderated during the week, allowing highs to exceed 30°C in much of the Middle Atlantic Region and the South, but highs were in the twenties (°C) across most of the central and eastern states and southern Canada. Readings failed to reach 20°C in the northern portions of Ontario and Quebec [COLD - Up to 13 weeks].

5. East-Central South America:

HEAVY RAINS SHIFT NORTHWARD
Torrential rains (100 to 500 mm) inundated Parana and northern Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil while 25 to 100 mm of rain fell on the region from Mato Grosso do Sul and Sao Paulo states of Brazil southward to northern Uruguay. Precipitation during the last 13 weeks ranged from 300 to 1000 mm, allowing moisture excesses of 100 to 500 mm to accumulate [WET - Up to 17 weeks].

6. Europe:

WARM ANOMALY MODERATES
Temperatures averaged 2°C to 3°C above normal across most of Europe, with weekly temperature departures reaching +5°C in parts of Scandinavia. Highs pushed above 20°C as far north as northern Norway and northern Sweden while readings exceeded 30°C in parts of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary. Subfreezing lows were limited to Scandinavia [WARM - Up to 8 weeks].

7. Western Asia and Eastern Europe:

COLD WEATHER DOMINATES REGION
Abnormally cold conditions, characterized by weekly departures of -3°C to -9°C covered much of European Russia and western Siberia. The mercury remained below 20°C across the northern half of the region, and failed to reach 30°C throughout. Subfreezing lows penetrated as far south as 45°N [COLD - Up to 5 weeks].

8. South-Central Asia:

HIGH TEMPERATURES CONTINUE
Weekly departures of +2°C to +5°C dominated eastern Pakistan, western Bangladesh, and northern India, with highs of 40°C to 48°C prevailing throughout the region. In addition, the mercury remained above 20°C across most of the Indian Subcontinent [WARM - Up to 7 weeks].

9. China:

MORE VERY WET WEATHER
Moderate to heavy precipitation (25 to 100 mm) drenched much of southern China between 20°N and 30°N, with locally heavier amounts (100 to 500 mm) in northeastern Guangxi and northern Guangdong. Between 100 and 800 mm of rain accumulated across the region during the last 8 weeks, yielding moisture surpluses of 100 to 400 mm [WET - Up to 9 weeks].

10. Central China:

UNUSUALLY COOL CONDITIONS PERSIST
Temperatures were 2°C to 5°C below normal in central China. The mercury failed to reach 30°C at most locations while weekly lows ranged from 1°C to 19°C [COLD - Up to 5 weeks].