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.

 Rainfall has been coming down heavily across southern China, helping to ease the ongoing drought across the region. Unfortunately for China, the majority of the moisture was brought into the region by Sarika, a very week tropical system. Although the storm caused little to no damage, and improved moisture availibility, it shows how hard it has been to get significant precipitation into southern China. Normally a system this weak would not even justify an special attention. Further south poor rainfall, although not yet a drought, may hampered the annual flood along the Mekong. This could have implications in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and parts of Thailand

In India poor precipitation in the northeast has continued to radiate outward into nearby parts of Bangladesh, Burma and Bhutan. Rainfall has been suppressed all season, and although the forecast models keep trying to push moisture into the region, that has yet to materialize. Rainfall has also been suppressed significantly in Nepal and the Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The Middle East remains seasonably dry, not altering the ongoing turbulence in Yemen, Bahrain and Syria.