GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

MARCH 2001

NORTH AMERICA

Northwestern United States and Southwestern Canada

Little or no precipitation fell on British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon as

abnormally dry weather dominated the region.

UNITED STATES

California

Torrential rainfall of 100 to 500 mm (4.00”-20.00”) inundated southern California between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara while 25 to 100 mm (1.00”-4.00”) fell on the remainder of coastal southern California.

Eastern South Dakota

Temperatures averaged 3°C to 6°C (6°F-12°F) below normal across eastern South Dakota, with the mercury dropping below -20°C (-4°F) on the western edge of the depicted region.

South-Central 

Rainfall of 25 and 50 mm (1.00”-200”) fell on eastern Texas and western Louisiana, but less than 25 mm (1.00”) fell elsewhere.

Southern and Eastern 

Torrential rain of 100 to 200 mm (4.00”-8.00”) drenched parts of southeastern Texas and west-central Florida while moderate to heavy rains of 25 to 100 mm (1.00”-4.00”) dominated the Gulf Coast, most of Florida, and the eastern United States between the ridge of the Appalachians and the Atlantic Seaboard.

Florida

Rainfall amounts of 25 to 50 mm (1.00”-20.00”) fell on parts of west-central, northeastern, and southeastern Florida, most of the state received only 10 to 25 mm (.40”-1.00”).

Southwest

Weekly departures of 2°C to 5°C (4F-10F) dominated California, Nevada, Arizona, and adjacent portions of Utah, with departures approaching 6°C (12F) in parts of southern and western Nevada. The mercury soared above 30°C (86°F) in southeastern California and southern Arizona while highs exceeded 20°C (68°F) across the reminder of the Southwest.

SOUTH AMERICA

Central and Southern

Temperature averaged 2°C to 6°C (4°F-12°F) above normal across much of central Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and the western Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil the first week. Temperatures reached as high as 40°C (104°F)at La Rioja, Argentina.

EUROPE

Northern 

Temperatures, averaged 2°C to 3°C (4°F-6°F) below normal across northwestern

Scandinavia as warmer air moved into the region.

France

Rainfall amounts of 50 and 100 mm (2.00”-4.00”) fell on northern France. Flooding occurred along the Seine River in Paris because of an unusually rainy

winter.

Mediterranean 

Temperature averaged 3°C to 5°C (6°F-10°F) across southern Spain and northern Morocco eastward to southern Turkey and northern Iraq. The mercury soared to 34°C (93°F)at El Oued, Algeria.

AFRICA

Southern 

Storms, partly fueled by moisture from Tropical Storm Dera, doused much of Zimbabwe and central Mozambique with moderate to heavy rain 25 to 150 mm (1.00”-6.00”).

ASIA

Rainfall of more than 100 mm of rain (4.00”) drenched peninsular sections of Malaysia and Thailand while 50 to 100 mm (2.00”-4.00”) fell on northern Borneo and the central portion of the Philippine Archipelago.

East-Central 

Little or no rain again fell on China from Sichuan Province eastward to Jiangsu and Zhejiang during the last week.

AUSTAILIA

Southeastern

Temperatures averaged 2°C to 6°C (4°F-12°F) above normal across South Australia, western New South Wales, and most of Victoria. Highs ranged from 30°C to 40°C (86°F-104°F) across the three.

North-Central Australia

Torrential rainfall of 100 to 500 mm (4.00”-20.00”) inundated extreme northeastern Western Australia and northwestern Northern Territory while moderate to heavy rains of 50 to 100 mm (2.00”-4.00”)fell across much of western Northern Territory and adjacent parts of eastern Western Australia.

Northeastern Australia

Precipitation amounts of 25 to 100 mm (1.00”-4,00”) fell along the immediate central Queensland coast, little or no rain fell on central and southern Queensland.