000
NOPQ40 PGUM 120633
PNSPQ 

PNSPQ
GUZ001>004-210200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TIYAN GU
435 PM CHST TUE JAN 12 2016

...VERY DRY WEATHER DEVELOPING ACROSS THE MARIANA ISLANDS...

RAINFALL ACROSS THE MARIANAS HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW NORMAL
SINCE NOVEMBER 2015...AND RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE BELOW NORMAL
DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.

THE EL NINO PATTERN CURRENTLY ACROSS THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC IS
EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF 2016. DRY WEATHER AND
DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS MOST OF MICRONESIA ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED
WITH THE LATER PHASES OF HISTORICALLY STRONG EL NINO PATTERNS.

COMPUTER MODELS INDICATE RAINFALL OF ONLY A QUARTER INCH TO A HALF
INCH FOR THE MARIANA ISLANDS THROUGH THE NEXT 10 DAYS...AND VERY LOW
RAINFALL WILL LIKELY PERSIST THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.

WATER SUPPLIES WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED AND WATER CONSERVATION IS
ENCOURAGED...ESPECIALLY FOR SAIPAN...TINIAN AND ROTA. GRASS FIRES
HAVE ALREADY BEEN OBSERVED ON GUAM AND THE RISK OF GRASS FIRES WILL
INCREASE IN THE COMING WEEKS. HOME OWNERS SHOULD KEEP GRASS AND
BRUSH TRIMMED FAR AWAY FROM HOUSES AND OTHER STRUCTURES. SOME DAMAGE
TO FOOD CROPS COULD ALSO DEVELOP.

A DROUGHT STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR YAP STATE AND THE REPUBLIC
OF PALAU AND FOR THE REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. THE DROUGHT
STATEMENT WILL LIKELY BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE MARIANA ISLANDS IN
THE COMING WEEKS.

THE NEXT ISSUANCE OF THE DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE
THURSDAY JANUARY 21 OR SOONER IF NECESSARY. REMEMBER TO STAY TUNED
TO LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...YOUR LOCAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AND/OR
YOUR LOCAL DISASTER COORDINATING OFFICE FOR THE LATEST WEATHER AND
DROUGHT INFORMATION.

$$

SIMPSON