NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
 Horn Of Africa Drought |
Global Hazards And Significant
Events
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| A multi-month period of wet weather across southwestern areas of the United States ameliorated drought conditions in parts of California, Arizona and New Mexico. Extreme to exceptional drought persisted farther north throughout portions of the northern and central Rockies. |
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| For comprehensive drought analysis, please see the current U.S. drought report. |
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Long-term drought continued across areas of the Greater Horn of Africa (eastern Kenya, southeastern Ethiopia, northern/central Somalia and Djibouti) and southern Africa. In Kenya, two million people were in need of food aid (WFP). Widespread crop failure over much of Mozambique, southern and eastern Zimbabwe, as well as adjacent parts of Malawi and South Africa, was the result of less than half the normal rainfall during the rainy season. For the latest African analysis and forecast, see the Famine Early Warning System Network. |
| Across Australia, rainfall deficiencies since January 2005 enhanced drought conditions across much of Western Australia southeastward into New South Wales. Please refer to the drought statement from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. |
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Drought in Australia was exacerbated by hot weather. Averaged across the country, it was the warmest April on record (Australian Bureau of Meteorology). There were numerous daily maximum temperature records set across the country. |
| Drought across Thailand is reportedly the worst in seven years. Two million hectares (5.2 million acres) of farmland have been damaged, while causing $191 million (USD) in economic losses. More than 9 million people in 71 of Thailand's 76 provinces have been affected by water shortages. Government-sponsored cloud seeding operations were employed as an attempt to mitigate the drought conditions (Associated Press). |
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| In the United States, heavy rainfall in the Northeast produced flooding in parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Severe flooding along the Delaware River forced the evacuation of 6,000 residents in New Jersey and over 5,700 in Pennsylvania during the weekend of the 2nd-3rd. Around 3,200 homes in New Jersey were damaged, while one fatality was reported in New York (Associated Press). |
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| Across Zanzibar Island off the coast
of Tanzania, heavy rains associated with showers and thunderstorms
during April 17-19 produced heavy flooding described as the worst
in 40 years. At least 150 familes lost their homes due to the
flooding (IFRC). In Romania, flooding in the northern and western parts of the country damaged thousands of homes and submerged 30,000 hectares (75,000 acres) of farmland. More than 140 towns were affected by the flooding, which prompted government officials to issue a regional state of emergency (AFP). Heavy rain in the Somali region of Ethiopia during April 21-30 produced flooding that caused 134 fatalities and displaced nearly 250,000 (AFP/OCHA). In the Indonesian province of Aceh, flooding rains were responsible for 15 deaths and the destruction of 490 homes in the village of Lawe Mengkudu on the 26th. (AFP). |
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Thunderstorms erupted on April 6 and produced severe weather including 32 reports of tornadoes, most of which touched down in Mississippi and Louisiana. Between 20 and 25 homes were destroyed and 7 people were injured. Mississippi governor Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency (CNN). |
| Severe thunderstorms affected the eastern China province of Jiangsu on the 20th, producing a deadly tornado near the city of Yancheng. There were seven people killed and at least 60 injured (AFP/Associated Press). |
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Typhoon Sonca developed in the western Pacific Ocean on the 20th, and passed near the Yap Islands as a depression on the 21st. Sonca attained typhoon status by the 23rd, but remained offshore before recurving to the northeast and weakening over cooler waters. |
| For 2005 basin tropical cyclone
statistics, please refer to the following: Australian Basin North Indian Ocean Basin Western North Pacific Basin South Pacific Basin South Indian Ocean Basin |
| No reports of significant extratropical cyclones were received during April 2005. |
| Heavy snow affected the Colorado Rockies during April 10-11, 2005, as up to 76 cm (30 inches) of snow affected the mountains around Denver. In the Denver metro area, 25-38 cm (10-15 inches) of snow accumulated. |
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| Elsewhere in the United States, snow fell across portions of the Great Lakes southeastward into the central and southern Appalachians on April 24. In the greater Cleveland, OH area, locally one foot (30 cm) of snow accumulated. |
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. |