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 #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 #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 #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 #26: Rains ease in SE Asia

Rains continue after the end of the season from the Black and Caspian Seas to the Hindu Kush. The monsoon is recovering from a slow start in south Asia. Meanwhile rains ease across the ASEAN countries and drought persists in southern China.

Asia Update #25: Drought Devastating Southern China

Southern China is continuing to face one of the worst droughts it has faced in recent history. Elsewhere, rainfall is slightly off in eastern Bangladesh and northeastern India, but not significantly so. In southeast Asia, rains have progressed northward across the mainland. Light rains continue to fall in parts of Central Asia, eastward to Turkey, after the typical end of the season.

Asia Update #21: Snow Melt continues in Afghanistan

Snow continues to melt in Afghanistan. Meanwhile temperatures are soaring across south Asia, and despite some relief, the drought in southern China continues. Not much unusual going on currently in either the Middle East or in Indonesia.