Weekly Global Climate Highlights Map for August 10, 2002

1. Western Canada:

COLD AIR DRIFTS SOUTHWARD
Temperatures were 2°C to 5°C below normal across much of western Canada, with the largest negative departures reported along the border of the United States. The mercury failed to reach 30°C at most locations, and scattered subfreezing lows were reported throughout the region [COLD - Up to 3 weeks].

2. Central United States:

STILL UNUSUALLY DRY
Scattered showers delivered 25 to 100 mm of rain to parts of northwestern Texas, western Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, but most of the region reported less than 30 mm of rain during the past week. Most of the region received less than 150 mm during the last 3 months, resulting in 13-week moisture shortages of 50 to 300 mm. See the United States Drought Monitor for more details [DRY - Up to 13 weeks].

3. Eastern United States:

MOISTURE DEFICITS INCREASE
Little or no rain fell on much of the eastern United States, except for a few isolated rain showers (10 to 50 mm) in the Northeast. During the last 13 weeks, fewer than 200 mm of rain has accumulated, resulting in moisture shortages of 50 to 320 mm. See the United States Drought Monitor for more details [DRY - Up to 19 weeks].

4. East-Central South America:

DRY ANOMALY DEVELOPS
Little or no rain was reported in southern Uruguay and northern Buenos Aires Province of northeastern Argentina during the past 2 weeks. Fewer than 130 mm of rain has fallen during the last 56 days, yielding short-term moisture deficits of 50 to 150 mm [DRY - Up to 5 weeks].

5. Europe and Asia:

WARM ANOMALY WEAKENS, BUT COVERS MORE AREA
Near-normal temperatures prevailed across most of central and eastern Europe, but weekly departures of +2°C to +6°C covered Norway and Sweden. Farther east, temperatures were 3°C to 8°C above normal across much of Kazakhstan while near-normal temperatures returned to southern Siberia. Highs of 40°C to 46°C dominated the region between the Caspian Sea and Lake Balkhash while the mercury pushed into the thirties (°C) across most of Europe and Asia south of 50°C [WARM - Ending at 19 weeks].

6. Europe:

MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS TRIGGER FLOODING
Between 25 and 100 mm of rain fell on much of Europe from England southeastward to the Black Sea. Heavier rains (100 to 200 mm) soaked central Europe from Switzerland eastward to Slovakia and parts of Bulgaria and southern European Russia. Many areas endured flooding as a result of the unusually heavy precipitation. Since the middle of June, much of Europe received 200 to 500 mm of rain, resulting in short-term moisture excesses of 100 to 250 mm [WET - Up to 7 weeks].

7. Western Sahel:

SHORT-TERM MOISTURE SHORTAGES CONTINUE
Between 25 and 50 mm of rain, with locally higher amounts to 100 mm, fell on Gambia and southern Senegal, but little or none was reported further north. Eight-week precipitation totals ranged from 30 to 160 mm, yielding shortfalls of 100 to 410 mm [DRY - Up to 7 weeks].

8. Pakistan and Western India:

PRECIPITATION DEFICITS REMAIN
Pakistan and extreme northwestern India received little or no rain, with totals increasing to the south and east. Despite heavy rains (100 to 500 mm) along coastal western India, and 8-week precipitation totals as high as 1200 mm, short-term moisture deficits ranged from 50 to 300 mm north of 20°N and reached 300 to 810 mm further south [DRY - Up to 6 weeks].

9. Korean Peninsula and Northern Japan:

HEAVY RAINS INUNDATE KOREAN PENINSULA WHILE MODERATE PRECIPITATION FALLS ON JAPAN
Torrential rains (100 to 500 mm) drenched South Korea while 50 to 100 mm of rain fell on North Korea [Episodic Event]. Moderate to heavy rains (50 to 100 mm) prevailed across northern Japan, where 4-week totals of 170 to 500 mm were among the wettest 10% of the climatological distribution [WET - Up to 5 weeks].

10. Central and Southern Japan:

ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES PREVAIL
Weekly departures of +2°C to +4°C covered much of the archipelago, with highs generally in the thirties (°C) and lows generally above 20°C across the country [WARM - Up to 6 weeks].

11. Southeastern China:

ABNORMALLY WET WEATHER DOMINATES
Torrential rains (100 to 500 mm) inundated Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang while lesser amounts (50 to 100 mm) covered the northern fringes of the region. During the last 8 weeks, 300 to 1030 mm of rain accumulated in southeastern China, resulting in short-term moisture excesses of 100 to 700 mm [WET - Up to 8 weeks].

12. Eastern Australia:

VERY DRY WEATHER PERSISTS
Little or no rain fell on eastern Australia during the last week. Although a few stations received 100 to 200 mm of rain during the last 8 weeks, most of the region received fewer than 100 mm, yielding precipitation shortfalls of 50 to 130 mm [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].