July 2005 Global Weather Highlights
- From: james.munley@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: 4 Aug 2005 10:36:14 -0700
GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS
JULY 2005
UNITED STATES
ROCKIES
Beneficial spring rain and snowfall ameliorated drought conditions
throughout portions of the northern and central Rockies. Drought
conditions expanded throughout portions of the Mississippi Valley by
early July 2005. By late in the month, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture declared virtually all of Illinois a disaster area due to
the general crop failure caused by drought (Reuters).
SOUTHWEST
Throughout the southwestern United States, a severe heat wave gripped
the region during early to mid-July. Maximum temperatures above 40°C
(104°F) affected parts of Nevada, California, Arizona and southern
Utah. Numerous temperature records were set around the region, and Las
Vegas, NV tied their all-time record high
temperature of 47.2°C (117°F) on the 19th, equalling the old record
set on July 24, 1942. Death Valley had 6 consecutive days (July 14-19)
with high temperatures above 51.7°C (125°F). At least 13 deaths were
blamed on the heat wave in Arizona (Associated Press). The heat wave
had spread to the East Coast by the 25th.
Tropical Storm Cindy developed as a depression in the far western
Caribbean on the 3rd, tracking across the Yucatan Peninsula before
entering the Gulf of Mexico and reaching tropical storm strength by the
5th. Cindy made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana late the same day
with maximum sustained winds near 110 km/hr (60 knots or 70 mph). More
than 300,000 homes and businesses lost electricity in Louisiana,
Alabama and Mississippi (Associated Press).
Heavy rainfall and flooding accompanied the storm as it moved inland,
with rainfall amounts of 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) along its path into the
Mid-Atlantic states. Localized severe weather including a few tornadoes
also accompanied Cindy's remnants.
EUROPE
Hot weather across much of Europe contributed to drought conditions in
much of France, Spain and Portugal. Numerous wildfires were reported
around the region (New York Times).
Heavy rainfall and flooding In Romania, flooding affected the
northeastern part of the country during the first half of July with 23
fatalities reported along with destruction of more than 2,300 homes.
The flooding was reportedly the worst in 30 years, with preliminary
damage estimates near $1.2 billion (Reuters).
In Austria, flooding along the Salzach River prompted the evacuation of
a hospital at Mittersill on July 12. At least 60 patients and staff
were evacuated to Salzburg after heavy rains produced flooding (AFP).
AFRICA
Lng-term drought continued in parts of the Greater Horn and southern
Africa, from parts of Ethiopia and southern Somalia southward into
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
ASIA
Seasonal flooding which began in May 2005 across southern China
continued into July. In the Sichuan province, 49 people were killed and
over 400,000 evacuted due to flooding and landslides by July 13 (OCHA).
In Pakistan, unusually warm temperatures in mountainous areas of
northern Pakistan accelerated snowmelt and brought extensive flooding
along the Kabul, Swat, Sindh and Indus Rivers (OCHA). In far
northeastern India, heavy monsoon rains brought flooding to the
Brahmaputra River which displaced 8,000 people in Assam state and
resulted in at least 12 deaths (AFP).
In India's western state of Maharashtra, exceptionally heavy rainfall
was recorded on July 26 when 944 mm (37.1 inches) of rain fell in the
state capital of Mumbai (Bombay). This was a new all-time 24-hour
rainfall record for the country, breaking the old record of 838 mm (33
inches) set in Cherrapunji, India on July 12, 1910. This unprecedented
rainfall produced widespread, massive flooding that was responsible for
the deaths of over 450 people in the Maharashtra state, including at
least 267 in the city of Mumbai (Bombay) (Associated Press/CBS News/BBC
News).
Typhoon Haitang developed in the western Pacific Ocean on the 11th and
reached typhoon status on the 13th. Haitang made an initial landfall in
Taiwan on the 18th with maximum sustained winds near 195 km/hr (105
knots or 120 mph). Flooding and mudslides accompanied the typhoon, with
up to one meter of rainfall
(over three feet) reported in some mountainous areas of Taiwan (CNN).
Haitang then continued westward, reaching Huangqi, China on the 19th
with top sustained winds near 120 km/hr (65 knots or 75 mph). There
were 12 deaths in Taiwan and 1 in China's Zhejiang province (Associated
Press).
Tropical Storm Banyan developed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean on
the 21st, reaching tropical storm strength the next day. Banyan tracked
to the north and skirted the east coast of Japan on the 26th with
maximum sustained winds near 75 km/hr (40 knots or 45 mph). The primary
effect from Banyan was heavy rainfall.
CENTRAL AMERICA
In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Dora developed on July 4 about
75 km (45 miles) west-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. Maximum sustained
winds were near 65 km/hr (35 knots or 40 mph), although the center of
Dora moved parallel to the Mexican coastline and did not make landfall.
The primary effect of the tropical storm was heavy rainfall along the
coast. Dora dissipated on the 6th.
Hurricane Emily developed in the central tropical Atlantic Ocean on the
10th as a depression and reached tropical storm strength by the 11th.
Emily became a hurricane by the 13th and slammed into Grenada early on
the 14th with winds near 150 km/hr (80 knots 90 mph). Emily passed
south of Haiti on the 15th and was blamed for 6 deaths (AFP). Jamaica
received heavy rainfall from the hurricane on the 16th, although the
center passed south of the island.
Emily continued westward, reaching Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula near
Cozumel on the 18th as a category-four hurricane with maximum sustained
winds near 215 km/hr (120 knots or 135 mph). The hurricane entered the
Gulf of Mexico and continued westward, reaching the northeastern coast
of Mexico near Boca Madre, or about 120 km (75 miles) south of
Brownsville, Texas, on the
20th. Maxiumum sustained winds at the time of landfall were near 205
km/hr (110 knots or 125 mph), or a category-three hurricane. In Mexico,
there was one fatality reported, with many houses damaged and
agricultural fields flooded (Associated Press).
CARIBBEAN/US
Hurricane Dennis developed as a depression in the southeastern
Caribbean Sea on the 4th, reaching tropical storm strength on the 5th.
This was the earliest date on record for four named storms to have
formed in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm achieved hurricane status by
the 6th, passing just north of Jamaica on the 7th and dumping very
heavy rainfall on the island. Dennis made landfall in south-central
Cuba on the 8th as a category-four hurricane, or the strongest
hurricane on record for so early in the season. There were 16 deaths in
Cuba and 25 in Haiti. Damage estimates in Cuba were near $1.4 billion
(USD), with 120,000 houses damaged or destroyed (Reuters/Associated
Press).
Dennis continued northwestward into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico,
having weakened from its passage over Cuba. The hurricane re-attained
category-four strength over the eastern Gulf of Mexico by the 9th, but
weakened to category-three intensity at the time of a final landfall
near Pensacola, Florida on the 10th. Maximum sustained winds at the
time of landfall were near 195 km/hr (105 knots or 120 mph). There were
9 hurricane-related fatalities in the U.S. (Florida, Mississippi and
Georgia), and preliminary estimates of insured losses ranged from $1 to
$1.5 billion (USD).
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