Asia Update #47: Heavy Rains Slam China, Southeast Asia

Heavy rainfall returned to China, although it shifted further north, flooding remains a major concern. In southeast Asia, onshore flow out of the South China Sea continued pump moisture into Laos and Vietnam causing localized flooding. Rainfall is starting to taper off across south Asia as the season is coming to a close.

Asia Update #46: Moisture Moves into Vietnam and Causes Flooding in China

Rainfall has pushed into Vietnam from the South China Sea, some of the moisture made it as far inland as Laos and Cambodia. Precipitation has continued steadily from Thailand westward across south Asia. Moisture deficits in China increased only in the coastal regions, further inland a flooding event has cause fatalities and destroyed property.

Asia Update #45: Nanmadol brings short-term relief to southeast China

The remnants of Typhoon Nanmodol have slightly reduced the rainfall deficit in southern China. Meanwhile south Asia continues to rebound, with areas of significant rainfall deficits restricted to greater Delhi, and northeast India. Poor rainfall in parts of southeast Asia is a growing problem as moisture has not been moving onshore from the South China Sea.

Asia Update #44: Drought relief on the way for southern China

Typhoon Nanmodal, now weakened, may provide some drought relief for coastal sections of southern China. Taiwan and the Philippines, however have taken the brunt of the storm. South and southeast Asia continue to see better rainfall totals and better rainfall distribution. Seasonably dry weather continues in the Middle East.

Asia Update #43: Much of Asia Coming into Balance

Moisture deficits are falling across most of Asia, with the exception of southern China. South and southeast Asia continue to get pounded with rainfall, and that is likely to continue. The area around the Yellow Sea in both China and both Koreas has seen greatly improved rainfall. Next week should be very wet across most of Asia.

Asia Update #42: Relief in Bangladesh, northeast India

Moisture improved last week across Bangladesh and northeast India as  moderate to heavy rains pounded the area. Those rains extended southward into Burma. The rest of southeast Asia had seasonable precipitation as coastal parts of China had positive rainfall anomalies. Seasonal dryness continues across most of the Middle East

Asia Update #41: Muifa Heading towards China/North Korea border

Muifa continues to weaken, and is now targeting landfall somewhere near the border near the border of China and North Korea. It may graze western parts of South Korea on the way there. Elsewhere, rainfall continues to look good across most of south and southeast Asia as the Middle East remains seasonably dry.

Asia Update #40: Nock-Ten soaks southeast Asia

Nock-Ten ran up the east side of the Philippines, before running over Luzon, clipping China, and finally hitting Vietnam and Laos, before dissipating. Meanwhile, another storm, Muifa, is heading northward in the Pacific and may pose a threat to China, the Koreas and Japan later this week. Season-long rainfall remains near normal across most of India. In the Middle East, seasonal dryness continues.

Asia Update #39: Rainfall stabilizes over most of India

After months of trying to pin down the Indian Monsoon, it finally has stabilized, leaving out only northeast India, and parts of Bangladesh. Southeast Asia has also continued to improve, although Cambodia is slightly off of it's normal precipitation. Further north very dry conditions have returned to the Korean Peninsula and parts of China.

Asia Update #38: Rains Still off Across South Asia

Rainfall is still not where it needs to be across India, this week rainfall concentrated in northwestern India, denying much of the rest of the country of needed moisture. Meanwhile in the Pacific, Ma-on is looking like it will miss the developing east Asian countries, Japan, however is likely to take the brunt of a very powerful typhoon. Southeast Asia picked up much better rainfall over the last week. In the Middle East, conditions remained seasonably dry.

Asia Update #37: Indian Monsoon Flips. Again

So in an effort to keep me (and all of south Asia) on our toes, the monsoon picked up again across southern India, while slacking off from Nepal to northeastern India, including easing across Bangladesh. That same dryness stretches eastward into southern China, and southward across most of southeast Asia. Looking for an area with too much rain? South Korea has had widespread pockets of flooding over the last week as it has been the target of tropical moisture moving northward. Seasonal dryness continues in the Middle East.

Asia Update #36: Dangerous Dipole in South Asia

A dangerous dipole has set itself up across the Asian subcontinent, and it could have serious consequences if it does not break down. After several weeks of relief from drought, dry weather has unfortunately returned to much of southern China. Moisture is becoming more widely available in southeast Asia, as the Middle East remains seasonably dry.

Asia Update #35: Precipitation Improving Across Asia

It is rare that I can make such a blanket statement about the whole continent, but with few exceptions, most of the areas that are growing crops have seen an improvement in rain. The Koreas and northeast China are getting rain from a very weak tropical storm, Meari. In south and southeast Asia, rainfall has also ticked upward in most areas.

Asia Update #34: Major Flooding in Drought Ravaged China

Even though long term moisture deficits remain, catastrophic flooding has occurred across a wide swath of southern China, including along the Yangtze River. In South Asia, the front range of the Himalayas have reported some rain. However, much of northeastern and eastern India along with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Burma remain parched. Precipitation has also been suppressed in southeast Asia. Recently rains have arrived in parts of Cambodia and Vietnam.

Asia Update #33: Drought Hammered in China, Resliant in India, Bangladesh

Drought in China was eased in parts of the south as a result of Sarika, a week tropical storm system that made landfall this past week. Poor rainfall is a growing concern in southern parts of the Mekong River basin. In Bangladesh and northeast India, drought remains a distinct possibility. Seasonal dryness persists in the turbulent countries of the Middle East.

Asia Update #32: Some Improvement in South Asia

There has been measurable improvement across southern Asia as rains have intensified, particularly in southern India and along the front range of the Himalayas. Dry weather continues across southern China, and into parts of southeast Asia. The Middle East remains seasonably dry.

Asia Update #31: Monsoon Better in Some parts of South Asia

Precipitation has improved somewhat in South Asia and China, but moisture conditions are far from ideal, and northeast India and adjacent areas of China and Burma have had no significant relief. The Philippines had a close encounter with Super Typhoon Songda. In the Middle East, seasonal dryness continues amid ongoing civil unrest.

Asia Update #30: Is Drought Moving into Northeast India?

It has been very dry so far this season in northeast India. Improvement over the last couple of weeks in Bangladesh and points west has kept this area on track for the start of the growing season. The rains in southern China take a break, reminding us that the drought there is far from resolved. Seasonable weather continued in southeast Asia, although there is some dryness on the mainland. Across the Middle East light, seasonable, showers from Turkey to Iran.

Asia Update #29: Rains continue to Slam China, back off in India

Rains continued to hammer drought hit southern China this week. Meanwhile in India, after what looked like a start to the rains in the northeast, ended up just being a preseason (heavy) shower. Isolated heavy rains hit southeast Asia, although nothing out of the ordinary is occurring there. Syria has entered the dry season as protests continue.

Asia Update #28: Rains return to China, India and Bangledesh

Substantial improvement in Bangladesh, nearby parts of India, along with southern, drought ravaged, China. Heavy rain pounded the central Philippines, as dry weather settled into Sumatra and Borneo. Meanwhile the Middle East, including Syria, has returned to seasonably dry weather.