In the United States,
severe to exceptional drought characterized conditions throughout
much of the Intermountain West, with the worst-affected areas in
parts of eastern Idaho, eastern Wyoming and adjacent areas of
Montana. Heavy June and July rains in much of the Southeast U.S.
alleviated incipient drought conditions in this region. |
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For comprehensive drought analysis, please see the current
U.S.
drought report.
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The long-duration
drought throughout much of the western U.S. enhanced wildfire
potential, with several large fires scattered across the region
during July. Numerous large
fires also charred parts of Alaska and the Yukon Territory in
Canada. |
For comprehensive analysis on the western and Alaska wildfires,
see the July 2004
wildfire pages.
Long term drought
continued across areas of Africa, including the Greater Horn and
parts of southern Africa (WFP). Above average rainfall was focused
across parts of eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia. |
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A heat wave that began
in late June 2004 across southern Spain persisted into early July,
with maximum temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F) in some
locations. Seven fatalities were blamed on the heat since late June
(AFP). |
Hot, dry weather that affected the Iberian Peninsula in late
June and early July contributed to brush fires across Portugal's
southern Algarve region. Several stretches of the Algarve motorway
were closed and homes evacuated due to 9 wildfires which affected
the area during June 30-July 1. Additional fires continued during
the latter half of July, with over 1,300 firefighters involved in
combating the blazes (AFP).
In Japan, a heat wave during mid to late July culminated by the
20th with temperatures reaching a record 39.5°C (103°F) in
Tokyo's financial district. This was the hottest temperature
recorded in the capital since records began in 1923, breaking the
previous record of 39.1°C (102°F) set on August 3, 1994.
Oppressively hot weather claimed several lives during July in Japan
(AFP/Japan Meteorological Agency).
In India, June
flooding associated with the onset of the monsoon season continued
during July 2004 in northeastern parts of the country. Border areas
of Assam and Arunachal states were struck by flooding on the 5th,
submerging dozens of villages and rendering 35,000 homeless. Much
of the river flooding originated from upstream in Tibet (BBC
News). |
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Across South Asia,
millions of residents were displaced by late-month, with the Indian
states of Assam and Bihar the worst-affected. Throughout India,
Nepal and Bangladesh, more than 1,000 deaths were blamed on
flooding brought about by heavy monsoon rains. Flooding in
Bangladesh was described as the worst since 1998, with water
covering an estimated two-thirds of the country during the height
of the flooding (Associated Press/AFP/Reuters). |
Farther to the southeast, heavy rains in northern Vietnam
produced flooding that killed 36 people during mid-July 2004. Most
of the fatalities occurred in the Ha Giang province (AFP).
In northern Japan, torrential rainfall brought flooding to
Niigata prefecture during July 13-14, forcing nearly 20,000
residents into evacuation centers. More than 430 mm (17 inches) of
rain fell in some parts of the region, and the resulting floods
were blamed for 18 deaths (Reuters/IFRC/Associated Press).
In the United States, strong thunderstorms dumped upwards of
a foot of rain on parts of north Texas during the 28th-29th. In
southern Dallas county, around 200 homes were damaged by high water
in the suburb of Lancaster. One fatality was blamed on the flooding
(Associated Press).
In the U.S.
Mid-Atlantic region, strong thunderstorms produced excessive
rainfall and severe flooding during the 12th-13th. In central New
Jersey, more than 254 mm (10 inches) of rain fell in less than 24
hours. |
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For an archive of flood events worldwide, see the
Dartmouth Flood Observatory.
In eastern China's Anhui province, severe thunderstorms struck
Xiao county on the 7th resulting in three deaths and 143 injuries.
The storms produced walnut-sized hailstones and strong winds that
damaged or destroyed 18,000 homes. Farther west in Sichuan
province, a lightning strike on the 4th killed 7 people while
injuring 10 others (AFP).
In Canada, severe thunderstorms brought hail and heavy rainfall
to parts of Alberta on the 11th, causing damage to crops and
businesses. The world's largest shopping mall in Edmonton (West
Edmonton Mall) was temporarily closed on the 12th after sustaining
damage from flooding and significant accumulations of marble to
baseball-sized hail (Reuters).
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Typhoon Mindulle
developed in June
but affected Taiwan and the southeast China coast with torrential
rainfall and strong, gusty winds as it trekked northeastward and
weakened during July 1-4. Mindulle was blamed for at least 30
deaths in the Philippines, 26 on Taiwan and 2 in China (Associated
Press/AFP/NASA). |
Tropical Storm
Kompasu
formed in the Philippine Sea on the 13th and passed through the
Luzon Strait on the 14th. Kompasu moved inland along the coast of
China near Hong Kong by the 16th with maximum sustained winds near
65 km/hr (35 knots or 40 mph). Heavy rains accompanied the storm as
it dissipated over Guangdong province. |
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Typhoon Namtheun
developed in the western Pacific Ocean on July 25 and tracked
across the island of Shikoku in Japan on the 31st. Namtheun had
weakened to tropical storm strength upon landfall, with maximum
sustained winds near 100 km/hr (55 knots or 65 mph). The storm also
brought locally heavy rainfall to the southern part of Japan. |
A table containing the
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index for global tropical
cyclones occurring during the month of July 2004 is available.
A powerful storm
system lashed the southern and eastern sections of the United
Kingdom on the 7th, bringing strong winds and heavy rains. As many
as 106,000 homes were affected by blackouts as strong winds cut
electrical service to the area (AFP). |
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A series of winter
storms affected the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina during
late June and into early July 2004. Heavy rains produced mudslides
in lower elevations while heavy snow fell across mountainous areas.
There were 5 weather-related deaths in Argentina with 4 reported in
Chile (AFP). |
Across Peru, cold
weather and heavy snowfall affected parts of the country during
late June through mid-July. The cold was blamed for the deaths of
46 children across the country, with cold weather-related illnesses
such as pneumonia the primary cause of death. The cold temperatures
killed more than 100,000 farm animals throughout the country and
destroyed 300,000 hectares (741,000 acres) of crops.
(AFP/OCHA). |
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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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