Nock-Ten currently making landfall south of Hanoi

Nock-Ten heading for Hainan, northern Vietnam

Africa Update #40: Rainfall Pattern Remains Static across Africa

Precipitation in Africa has continued to not be sufficient in much of the Sahel. This leaves moisture below normal from Niger and Nigeria eastward to Sudan. Cote D'Ivorie, Liberia and Ghana have had some rainfall problems, although there is a brief easing in the rains that is typical for this time of the year. Western Ethiopia has been having a good season.

Latin America Update #39: Improvement in Western Venezuela

There has been some improvement in the poor rainfall totals in western Venezuela. The rest of the country, however, along with points eastward in northern South America remain unseasonably dry. Far southern Brazil and nearby parts of Argentina and Paraguay received heavy rainfall during the last week. Central America had a near normal week, while the Greater Antilles generally received unusually heavy rainfall.

Nock-Ten forms, heading for Luzon and southern China

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.

Africa Update #39: Moisture deteriorating across the Sahel

As rainfall continues to be below normal across much of the Sahel, concerns are rising about patches of failed crops from Nigeria to Sudan. In east Africa, the food crisis is now building to a head, parts of Somalia have been declared to be in a famine by the UN, and more territory in Somalia, and possibly Ethiopia and Kenya may follow.

Latin America Update #38: Rains terrible in Venezuela, improving in Mexico

Rainfall has been terrible for at least three weeks across most of Venezuela. It's actually been so terrible, the only reason I don't think it is a problem with the rain gauges is that moderate dryness is being observed in nearby parts of Guyana, Brazil and Colombia. Meanwhile, southern Mexico, particularly the Yucatan Peninsula has had a slow, but steady recovery from drought over the past month. Central America, and the Caribbean islands continue to have a good growing season. In the south, Las Pampas and the surrounding areas are having a good season.

Ma-on and Dora to miss developing countries

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.

Ma-on Extremely Powerful, Moving Towards Japan, Korea

Africa Update #38: Emergency looms in Nigeria and both Sudans

A major emergency is possibly building in Nigeria and Sudan and newly independent (as of yesterday) South Sudan if rainfall does not stabilize across these regions. Looking over a wider area, more moisture is still needed in western Niger, Burkina Faso, much of Chad, and the Central African Republic. Off to the west rainfall remains plentiful; and in Ethiopia, despite a couple of weeks of poor precipitation, rainfall remains well distributed.

Latin America Update #37: Multi-week Dryness in Venezuela, Colombia

Multi-week dryness continues across much of Venezuela and nearby parts of Colombia. Meanwhile, Central America and the Caribbean have continued to have an abundance of rain, with only isolated pockets showing season-long deficits. A dry week across Patagonia, although intermittent rainfall has been sufficient so far this season.

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.

Africa Update #37: Rains slipping in the eastern Sahel, famine near certain in Somalia, Kenya

In an area stretching from Niger to Cameroon to Sudan, the rains are becoming erratic and light, threatening crops, livestock and people. Poor rainfall from last season is threatening to cause a famine, primarily in Kenya and Somalia. Northern Africa is now drying down, as is seasonable for this time of year.

Latin America Update #36: Heavy Rain in CA, Dry in Venezuela

Rainfall has picked up significantly across Mexico, Guatemala and Cuba, helping suppress deficits accumulated earlier in the season. The rest of the Caribbean and Central America continues to have a typical season. In northern South America, rainfall has all but cut off across Venezuela and interior parts of Colombia. In south the usual on again, off again rain showers in the Pampas, while southern Chile remains slightly drier than normal.

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.

Africa Update #36: Deficits continue from Sudan to Nigeria

While most of Africa has been seasonable, a belt stretching from Sudan to Nigeria has had poor rainfall, especially in some of the marginal and pastoral areas. Further to the west and east, rainfall has been near normal, to slightly above normal. Meanwhile along the Mediterranean Sea, light to moderate precipitation has continued across Morocco and Algeria.

Arlene forms in the GoM, slams into Mexico