In the United States,
a parade of Pacific storm systems ameliorated drought conditions in
parts of the West, although areas of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
remained in exceptional drought. |
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For comprehensive drought analysis, please see the current
U.S.
drought report.
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Long term drought
continued across southeastern Kenya and adjacent areas of Tanzania.
Erratic rainfall in parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea resulted in poor
crop conditions. For the latest African analysis and forecast, see
the Famine
Early Warning System Network. |
In Cambodia, as much
as 10 percent of the rice crop was lost since October due to
drought. Western Kampong Speu province was the worst affected,
losing 90 percent of its crop yield. By mid-November, rainfall
provided some relief to the short-term dryness (AFP). |
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Across a large area of
southern and eastern China, drought conditions were characterized
as being the worst in more than 50 years (AFP). A prolonged dry
spell ravaged parts of Guangdong, Hainan, Jiangxi and Anhui and
provinces, as well as the Guangxi autonomous region. In Jiangxi
province alone, drinking water to 620,000 people and 260,000
livestock was threatened (Xinhua). |
In the United States,
heavy rainfall in Texas during November 15-18 was blamed for at
least 2 deaths (Associated Press). Areas of the Texas Hill Country
received 127 to 254 mm (5 to 10 inches) of rainfall during this
period, producing widespread flooding. |
Rainfall in Texas
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In Colombia, heavy
rains that began in October 2004 continued into November. Floods
and/or landslides occurred in 24 out of 33 departments, where 19
people died and 34 were injured (OCHA). An estimated 240,000 people
were affected, with 65,000 of these in the department of
Bolivar. |
In Panama, intense rains fell in the upper watershed of the
Chucunaque River in the Darien province during mid-November.
Numerous river systems went above the flood stage, causing flooding
in 25 communities. Over 7,500 people were affected with over 1,000
houses damaged, along with significant agricultural losses
(OCHA).
For an archive of flood events worldwide, see the
Dartmouth Flood Observatory.
In the United States,
an outbreak of
severe thunderstorms on the 23rd produced reports of 54
tornadoes across portions of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and
Alabama. In Texas's Hardin county, one person was killed with three
injured when a tornado struck during the afternoon (Associated
Press). |
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Flattened Trees In Slovakia
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A severe windstorm
affected areas of Poland and Slovakia during the 18th-19th. Winds
exceeding 95 km/hr (60 mph) were common across much of Poland,
where there were 7 reported wind-related fatalities (Disasterrelief.org). Farther south in
Slovakia, wind gusts as high as 170 km/hr (105 mph) were reported.
In the High Tatras Mountains, a 60 km long and 10 km wide belt of
timber forest was completely destroyed. Widespread power and
communication infrastructure damage was also reported (OCHA). |
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Typhoon Muifa developed in
the Philippine Sea on the 4th, attaining typhoon status by the
17th. Muifa crossed the central Philippines during the 18th-20th,
with maximum sustained winds near 160 km/hr (85 knots or 100 mph).
The typhoon was blamed for at least 61 deaths in the country
(AFP). |
Torrential rains
occurred in central and southern Vietnam as the typhoon passed just
to the south and entered the Gulf of Thailand. Flash flooding and
landslides were blamed for 48 deaths in five provinces of the
country (AFP/IFRC). Muifa dissipated just south of Bangkok,
Thailand on the 26th. |
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Following the passage of Typhoon Muifa, two more tropical
depressions affected the Philippines during the 22nd-30th,
resulting in over 1,000 deaths from landslides and flooding
(Reuters). Of these fatalities, nearly one hundred occurred in the
northern Philippine town of General Nakar (Reuters).
A table containing the
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index for global tropical
cyclones occurring during the month of November 2004 is available.
A storm system that
tracked off the coast of Algeria on the 13th brought strong winds
and high seas to the western Mediterranean Sea. The storm was
responsible for the sinking of an Algerian cargo ship while another
Turkish vessel ran aground. Twenty sailors from both vessels were
reported missing, with at least three fatalities (Reuters). The
storm
then tracked eastward across the Mediterranean, affecting Italy
and the Adriatic Sea. In Croatia, winds gusting up to 200 km/hr
(125 mph) toppled trees, damaged roofs and disrupted power and
communications. There were dozens of injuries, and three people
were reported missing in the sea (AFP) |
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An early season
blizzard pounded the Canadian Maritimes on the 14th, with 50 cm (20
inches) of snow blanketing much of Nova Scotia. Strong winds
combined with the heavy, wet snow produced more than 100,000 power
outages to homes and businesses, and temporarily closed the Halifax
International Airport (Reuters). |
Across Scandinavia on
the 18th, an early season winter storm brought locally heavy snow
and strong winds to much of the region. Snow accumulations of 20 cm
(8 inches) were common throughout much of southern and central
Sweden. Strong winds gusting over 100 km/hr (60 mph) combined with
snow and rain to produce wind damage in parts of Norway and Denmark
(BBC News). Farther south, the same storm system brought strong
winds and locally heavy snowfall to parts of Germany, Austria and
the Czech Republic. In Croatia, high winds were blamed for one
fatality and widespread electricity outages. Heavy accumulations of
snow temporarily closed the Czech-German border (AFP). |
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References:
Basist, A., N.C. Grody, T.C. Peterson and C.N. Williams, 1998:
Using the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager to Monitor Land Surface
Temperatures, Wetness, and Snow Cover. Journal of Applied
Meteorology, 37, 888-911.
Peterson, Thomas C. and Russell S. Vose, 1997: An overview of
the Global Historical Climatology Network temperature data base.
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,
78, 2837-2849.
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