GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

 

JULY 2014

 

ASIA

 

Super Typhoon Rammasun made landfall in southern China, bringing winds in excess of 135 knots and localized flooding to rice and sugarcane. Rammasun crossed the Philippines

earlier in the period and intensified into a super typhoon prior to making landfall in mainland China on July 19. The heaviest rainfall (approaching 400 mm) occurred well inland as the storm dissipated rapidly in the highlands of the southwest. The high winds likely resulted in lodging of sugarcane, with most flooding affecting rice in Guizhou and neighboring parts of Hunan. In other parts of the south, seasonal showers (50-200 mm) were enhanced by the passage of Rammasun and maintained abundant moisture supplies for rice as far north as the Yangtze River.

Temperatures were also between 20 and 25C for the week (1C below normal). North China Plain and far southern provinces, temperatures were 30C for the week.

Typhoon Matmo made landfall in southeastern China at Midweek (July 20-26), with winds in excess of 70 knots and weekly Rainfall totals in the immediate area exceeding 100 mm.

Remnants of Matmo moved northward bringing heavy Showers (50-150 mm) to eastern provinces including parts of the northeast.

 

A landslide has struck a village in western India following heavy monsoon rains, killing at least 17 people and leaving as many as 200 trapped on the 30^th. Emergency services rushed to the remote village of Malin in the Pune district of Maharashtra state, where debris from a hill collapsed on to homes while residents were sleeping. Heavy rains have been falling for days in Maharashtra as a result of the annual monsoon. Building collapses are common in India, especially during the rainy season, with millions living in dilapidated old structures, or newly built but illegal constructions made from substandard materials.

 

Canada

 

Many parts of southern B.C. were hit with flash flooding, drenching rain and lightning, as a band of intense thunderstorms moved across the region on the 24th. One of the worst-hit areas was Kamloops, which was hit with about 25 mm of rain in about 20 minutes, quickly overwhelmed drains and other infrastructure, forcing water and debris onto streets and into homes. Several streets were flooded, stranding many cars and trucks on the roads.

At least 8,000 customers lost power across the region because of the storm.

The low-pressure system, which slid up from Washington's coast, will continue to bring heavy rain, dangerous hail and thunderstorms to southern B.C. through Thursday, environment Canada is forecasting.

 

RUSSIA

 

Mostly dry, hot weather persisted in Russia. High pressure remained centered over western

Kazakhstan, maintaining sunny skies in Russia and a warm southerly flow across the western two-thirds of the region. Temperatures averaged 2 to 5C above normal areas, with daytime highs in the lower to middle 30sC in southern portions of Ukraine and Russia. In Russia, the heat was accompanied by sunny skies.

 

Bathers on a beach in Novosibirsk in Russia's Siberia region were caught by surprise by a hailstorm following a sharp drop in temperature on the 12^th. Mobile phone footage showed people running out of the water to seek cover from the large hailstones, protecting themselves under umbrellas and trees. As temperatures reached 37C on Saturday afternoon, a powerful thunderstorm unleashed heavy rain, damaging winds and large hail on beachgoers along the Ob river.

 

EUROPE

 

On the 2^nd in Spain 35 cm of hail fell in around 45 minutes in Almazan, Soria. This freak storm caught locals by surprise damaging 70% of the houses in the town and causing local flash floods. Almazan wasn't the only place to be hit though, and many areas including Madrid also reported similar exceptional events.

 

High pressure has brought dry and settled conditions to Scandinavia recently, but some parts of northern Norway (at 70N and inside the Arctic Circle) have experienced temperatures over 30C on the 10^th. For example, the observed temperature at Balnak at 70N in the far north of Norway on Thursday was 32.6C at 1200 GMT, due to a foehn wind. At the same time the Azores high pressure area brought a cool north to north-westerly flow to northern parts of Spain early on Thursday morning. In fact, Urbana situated in the Sierra de la Demanda mountain range of northern Spain, reported a minimum temperature of 0°C at an altitude of 1565 meters in the 12 h ending 0600 GMT. It was one of the coldest July nights on record in Spain; even in the mountains such cold temperatures in July are most unusual.

 

UNITED STATES

 

Giant hail has pummelled the US state of Nebraska, leaving vehicles and homes damaged. Severe weather has been sweeping the Mid-Western states, with tornado warnings in south-west Iowa and north-west Missouri. Meanwhile, boats have been used to rescue residents cut off by flash floods. Footage shows baseball-sized hail in Wilber, Nebraska, while in Missouri Valley, Iowa, an eyewitness captured the moment 90mph winds ripped the roof off a gas station.

 

CANADA

 

Post-tropical storm Arthur, weakened from a hurricane, has battered south-east Canada leaving more than 200,000 homes and businesses without power on the 6^th. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick bore the brunt of the storm's torrential rain and strong winds.

 

TROPICAL

 

Typhoon Neoguri headed for the Japanese mainland after crossing to the southern Okinawa island chain, killing two people and leaving a trail of damage on the 9^th. Officials said Neoguri would bring heavy rainfall and warned of the risk of flooding and landslides after the storm - which has weakened from a super typhoon - forced half a million people to seek shelter in Okinawa on Tuesday. On Monday authorities gave issued their highest typhoon alert and on Wednesday the weather agency said the situation in Okinawa remained serious because of the prospect of further torrential rain bringing the possibility of landslides and flooding. In the Okinawan capital of Naha on Tuesday traffic lights went out, trees were split, signboards blew and a restaurant was destroyed. Schools were closed, air and sea traffic ground to a halt and nearly 70,000 Okinawan households had no power.

 

8th-20th

Typhoon Rammasun killed at least 11 people when it hit northern Vietnam as China counted 33 dead from the strongest storm to strike its south in four decades on the 18^th-20^th. Rammasun had earlier battered southern China, killing 33 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes. It was the strongest typhoon to hit China's southern region in 41 years, damaging roads and ports, cutting electricity and water supplies, and hampering rescue efforts as it swept through dozens of coastal cities. Worst hit was the island province of Hainan, where the storm made its first landfall on Friday. By Monday 51,000 houses and 40,600ha (100,300 acres) of crops had been destroyed. The typhoon caused US$1.7bn in damage on the island.

 

24th-25th

Former Typhoon Matmo brought torrential rainfall to China and Taiwan through Thursday night, local time (24^th-25^th). Matmo made landfall along the east coast of Taiwan Tuesday night, local time, with winds over 160 km/h. The cyclone then crossed Taiwan and emerged over the Taiwan Strait before making a second landfall on Fujian Province, China, late Wednesday afternoon, local time. The hardest-hit areas in the mountains of eastern Taiwan received more than 650 mm of rain from Matmo. Heavy rain also fell across Lanyu Township, just east of the main island of Taiwan on Tuesday. Rainfall of 250-300 mm was reported. Also, wind gusts of 160 kph (100 mph) pelted the small island for several hours as the eye of the storm passed just to the northeast Forty-eight people died after a plane crash in Taiwan Wednesday evening, local time, amid heavy rain and gusty winds from former Typhoon Matmo.

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com