Drew Lerner, Author at World Weather

El Nino’s Impacts Not As Severe In SE Asia As Previous Events

Kansas City, August 27 (World Weather, Inc.) –The current El Nino has had significant impacts on crop areas around the world and is likely to strengthen further, but thus far, SE Asia has fared better than in some previous strong El Nino events. Dryness this year has caused significant production cuts to rice while impacting sugarcane, corn and other short-rooted crops including many herbs and spices, but losses have not been as great as once feared. The deeper-rooted tree crops have not been seriously impacted yet, but stress is evolving and as this ENSO event prevails there will be downward pressure on coffee, cocoa, rubber, oil palm and coconut production as well as tree nuts and citrus in unirrigated areas. There has actually been some damage done to Luzon Island, Philippines rice because of extreme flooding this season and that is unusual for an El Nino year; though it contributes to the overall production issue for 2026-27

U.S. Midwest Subsoil Moisture To Help Crops In Drying Trend

Kansas City, August 28 (World Weather Inc.) – Subsoil moisture across the U.S. Midwest is rated favorably except in the northwestern Corn and Soybean Belt and in a few areas from Kansas and Missouri into the Delta. The favorable soil moisture should help carry crops through the next couple of weeks of net drying and warmer biased weather. The end result could return a very small part of the yield potential lost for soybeans. The drier and warmer bias may not have much impact on corn except to speed along its filling and maturation. The drier biased areas in far northwestern Corn and Soybean Belt would not likely benefit from a drier weather pattern; however, that part of the production region has the best potential for getting timely rain over that of the remainder of the production region.

Typhoon Saudel Will Slam Into Southeastern China Later Today

Kansas City, August 27 (World Weather Inc.) – Typhoon Saudel brought damaging winds and torrential rain to Okinawa and neighboring areas in Japan’s Ryukyu Islands earlier this week. The disturbance is now heading for China with landfall over Zhejiang this evening. Saudel will bring heavy rain and strong winds to Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and neighboring areas in southeastern China overnight tonight into this weekend before dissipating. Damage to the unharvested rice, sugarcane, and other crops is possible, in addition to impacting a few ports and other infrastructure. Harvesting and general fieldwork will likely be delayed for several days as well.