Drew Lerner, Author at World Weather

China Precipitation Will Be Limited Through Late December

Kansas City, December 20 (World Weather Inc.) – Weather in China was relatively mild and dry during the past week and it will remain that way through at least the end of the month. Temperatures have kept winter wheat dormant across the North China Plain while rapeseed in the Yangtze River Basin is dormant or semi-dormant. The lack of precipitation through the end of December will not significantly impact the outlook for the winter wheat or rapeseed as drying will be limited. The outlook will remain favorable for most locations, though timely precipitation would be welcome in January and February to support ideal development conditions next spring.

U.S. Hard Red Winter Wheat Still Rated Well Despite Dryness

Kansas City, December 19 (World Weather Inc.) – Minimal to no precipitation has occurred in U.S. hard red winter wheat country in the past 30-days; however, in the previous 30 days, significantly more precipitation than usual occurred with over four times the norm reported in most of the crop region. The abundance of precipitation in late October and early November coupled with seasonal cooling has conserved soil moisture so that it remains at relatively favorable levels, despite dry weather. Crops are dormant or semi-dormant, though warmer-than-average temperatures in the next two weeks may reduce crop hardiness and cooling will soon be needed along with perhaps some snow. Minimal precipitation is expected to continue in at least the next 5-days with the high Plains region probably staying dry biased for up to ten days. There is not much immediate need for precipitation as long as cooler biased conditions return in January.

Australia Late Harvest To Advance Swiftly On Drier Weather

Kansas City, December 19 (World Weather Inc.) – Late season harvest of wheat, barley and canola advanced a little faster during this past week due to drier weather in the southern part of Australia. Most of the canola has already been harvested, but wheat and barley harvesting will linger for a while longer and weather conditions look quite favorable for quick field progress. Eastern Australia’s main summer grain, oilseed, and cotton areas will otherwise continue to dry down. The lack of moisture in summer crop areas may slow development rates in unirrigated fields. Continued dryness late this month into January could also impact yield potentials, most notably in the rain-fed fields; although, there is good potential for returning rain in January.

Indonesia, Malaysia To See Relief From Heavy Rain

Kansas City, December 19 (World Weather Inc.) – Several locations in Indonesia and Malaysia reported copious amounts of rain in recent weeks. A slow-propagating Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) wave advanced across Southeast Asia in recent weeks, which tends to enhance rainfall for the region. Severe flooding and landslides were noted in Peninsular Malaysia, Java, and a few other locations. Damage to infrastructure and crops was noted, though the extent of the losses is not yet fully known. With the MJO wave weakening while shifting into the Pacific Ocean in the coming week to ten days, a more normal distribution of rain is expected for Indonesia and Malaysia. The precipitation will keep the ground saturated and fieldwork may continue to advance slowly in the wettest areas.