Global Crop Watch

Global Crop Watch Summary for August 22, 2003.   Widespread showers in Russia slowed harvest progress. Abundant rain in China favored summer crops, and rainfall in Australia improved moisture supplies.  Hot and dry weather lingered across Europe, parts of the U.S. Plains and Corn Belt, and western Canada.

Strong Monsoon Continues in India.   Soaking rain in northern India and Bangladesh improved moisture supplies for tillering rice.  (Northern India suffered from drought last year).  It was favorably drier in Gujarat and Rajasthan for oilseeds and cotton development.  

Favorable Rainfall in Eastern Australia, August 10 - 16, 2003. Showers in New South Wales and Victoria improved moisture supplies for winter crops.  Conditions in Western Australia are good.  More rain is forecast.  

Extreme Heat in Canada, August 10 - 16, 2003.  Maximum temperatures above 40 C. were reported in a few areas.  While stressing pastures and depleting soil moisture, the heat aided summer grain dry-down and harvesting.  Hot and dry weather in June and July lowered crop yields on the Prairies.  In contrast, crop conditions in eastern Canada are very good.  

United States and Mexico - 7 Day Cumulative Precipitation Map for the week Ending August 20, 2003.  There was scattered monsoon rainfall in the West, with dangerous lightning and local flash flooding.  Higher humidity eased the wildfire threat.  It was mostly dry and hot in the Plains and western Corn Belt, while the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states remained wet.  Tropical Storm Erika brought beneficial rainfall to northern Mexico.

United States - Temperatures Departure from Normal - August 10 - 16, 2003.  A record breaking heat wave covered the northern Plains and Rockies (more than 7 F. above normal, with temperatures above 100 F).  Hot weather spread eastward across the Corn Belt and into the Northeast.  It was relatively cooler in Texas and the Delta last week.

U.S. Drought Monitor for August 19, 2003.  Drought covers most of the Intermountain West, extending from Canada to Mexico.  Drought has also developed in northwest Missouri, western Nebraska, and Kansas, aggravated by hot temperatures.  There is no drought east of the Mississippi this year.

Drought Monitor Comparison - August 19, 2003 vs July 8, 2003. Drought has expanded significantly in 6 weeks.  Parts of the Plains and western Corn Belt are now classified as "moderate" to "severe" drought.  

For more information, go the Drought Monitor web page.