GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

SEPTEMBER 2007

AFRICA
Western and central

Persistent heavy rain fell across western, central, and eastern
Africa, prompting devastating floods during September.

Torrential rain triggered widespread flash floods across the continent
affecting over a million people in 22 countries. The heavy rains
destroyed thousands of acres of land and have prompted an outbreak of
Cholera that killed at least 68 people (AFP). The most affected
countries were Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, and Burkina
Faso. In Sudan, 64 people lost their lives in what is described as the
worst flooding in living memory (BBC News/AFP). Uganda, which suffered
from the heaviest rainfall in 35 years, reported 9 fatalities and
150,000 people that have been affected (Associated Press). According
to reports, the United Nations declared parts of Ghana and Ethiopia as
disaster zones and Uganda's president declared a state of emergency
across the country (BBC News).

UNITED STATES
West and Southeast

Severe to extreme drought conditions persisted throughout much of the
western U.S., the Southeast region, and parts of Minnesota.
Exceptional drought endured in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia,
North and South Carolina. On September 25, 63% of the western U.S. was
in moderate to exceptional drought, 77% in the Southeast, and 44% for
the contiguous U.S., according to the Federal U.S. Drought Monitor

Across southern areas of the state of California, 25 fatalities were
attributed to a heat wave that prompted temperatures to soar past the
40°C (104°F). The excessive heat resulted in the declaration of an
'electrical emergency' by energy officials during the week of Sept 2
and thus left about 55,000 people without electricity for two days
(BBC News).

Central Plains

Heavy rain fell at Will Rogers World Airport, south of Oklahoma City,
on September 10, breaking the previous daily rainfall record. The
previous 24-hour record was set in 1925 when 61.0 mm (2.4 inches) of
rain fell. This record was easily surpassed in less than an hour when
69 mm (2.73 inches) of rain fell early in the morning. The 24-hour
total rainfall for the day was 161 mm (6.32 inches), 100 mm (3.9
inches) more than the previous record (Associated Press).

Southeast

Severe thunderstorms produced a tornado that affected the southwest
Florida city on September 16. The tornado, with wind speeds estimated
to be between 90-110 mph (145-177 km/hr or 78-96 knots), damaged about
150 homes. Only one person was injured (Associated Press).

ASIA
south

Heavy monsoon-related rainfall, which commenced in June, affected
parts of South Asia during September. In India, nearly 3 million
people were affected by the worst flooding in years in many parts of
India during September 6-12. Heavy rain produced flash floods in
northeastern India, killing at least 10 people. Meanwhile, Bangladesh
and Nepal also suffered from landslides and floods prompted by heavy
rains during September 7-9. In Bangladesh, 100,000 people were
affected by the floods while in Nepal 15 fatalities were reported
(AFP). Since the beginning of the monsoon, more than 2,500 fatalities
have been reported across India, 959 in Bangladesh, and 183 in Nepal
(Associated Press/BBC News/AFP).

Flash floods caused by torrential rains affected about 5,000 people
and were the cause for 4 fatalities in Thailand during the first two
weeks in September. In Phetchabun, one of the worst hit areas, whole
villages were washed out by landslides (BBC News).

INDIA

Heavy rain fell during September 22-23 in southern and eastern parts
of India, triggering flash floods and landslides that killed more than
60 people and left about 50 villages under water. In the state of
Orissa, reportedly worst hit, 190 mm (7.5 inches) of rain fell in
Chandbali in a 24-hr period (BBC News/Associated Press).

EUROPE

Across eastern Romania, flooding during the first week of September
affected about 1,400 people and damaged more than 1,000 homes. The
floods were responsible for the deaths of 7 people with many others
missing and caused the Kleine Ybbs river to reach its highest level in
a century (BBC News).




Severe thunderstorms affected AndalucÃ*a, Spain on September 21. Heavy
rain and large hailstones fell across the region prompting flash
floods,
wrecking hundreds of car's windshields, and injuring about 18 people.
Only one fatality was reported. According to reports, the heavy rain
destroyed 15% of the grape harvest in the Jerez region (BBC News).


TROPICAL

Typhoon Fitow developed in the western Pacific Ocean on August 28.
Fitow reached peak intensity on September 3 with maximum sustained
winds near 98 mph (157 km/hr or 85 knots). On September 6, Fitow made
landfall as a tropical storm southwest of Tokyo, Japan, becoming the
strongest typhoon to hit Tokyo since October 2002 (Reuters). The
typhoon left tens of thousands of residents without power, killed at
least 2 people, left 40 others injured (BBC News), and brought heavy
rain that surpassed rainfall records in many parts of Tokyo (Reuters).

Hurricane Felix developed as a depression in the eastern Atlantic
Ocean on August 31, reaching tropical storm intensity later that day.
Felix continued to intensify and was a strong category five hurricane
with maximum winds of 168 mph
(270 km/hr or 146 knots) by September 9. Prior to making landfall,
Felix weakened briefly but then reintensified into a Category 5 storm
and made landfall in northeastern Nicaragua by the 4th. The rugged
terrain of
Central America weakened Felix significantly such that it was
downgraded
to a tropical depression on the 5th. The most affected area was Puerto
Cabezas where heavy rainfall destroyed many homes and left many people
dead (BBC News). Hurricane Henriette and Hurricane Felix made landfall
the same day, September 4. This is the first time since records began
in 1949 that two hurricanes make landfall the same day (BBC News).

Hurricane Humberto became the first storm on record to intensify from
a tropical storm to a category one hurricane within 16 hours (BBC
News). Humberto developed as a depression in the Gulf of Mexico on
September 11, reaching tropical storm intensity on the 12th. Humberto
made landfall just east of Galveston, TX on the 13th as a category one
hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (137 km/hr or 74
knots) (BBC News) and was the first hurricane to make landfall in the
U.S. since 2005 (Associated Press). This hurricane brought to the
Texas-Lousiana coastline heavy rain, left about 100,000 residents
without power (BBC News), and was responsible for the death of one
person (Associated Press). Humberto weakened to a tropical depression
on the 13th.

Typhoon Nari developed in the western Pacific Ocean on the 12th as a
tropical depression. Nari underwent rapid intensification, reaching a
typhoon status in just 18 hours. By the 14th, Nari reached its peak
intensity with maximum sustained winds of 138 mph (222 km/hr or 120
knots) and soon afterwards
began to weaken. On September 16, typhoon Nari made landfall on the
southern coast of South Korea, killing at least 10 people (BBC News).
According to reports, the Korean Meteorological Service estimated that
rainfall totals reached a record of 590 mm (23 inches) in the island
of Cheju (BBC News).

Typhoon Wipha developed in the western Pacific Ocean as a tropical
depression on the 15th. Wipha attained typhoon status by the 17th but
reached its peak intensity on the 18th with maximum sustained winds
near 155 mph (250 km/hr or 135 knots) (BBC News). Wipha made landfall
in Zhejian province, located in
eastern China, with maximum sustained winds up to 100 mph (160 km/hr
or
87 knots) on the 19th (AFP). Wipha brought heavy rain that prompted
floods that destroyed about 670 houses and disrupted power to more
than 100 communities (Associated Press). Only nine fatalities have
been reported with three others missing (Associated Press). Prior to
making landfall, Wipha was expected to be the worst typhoon to strike
in a decade. This resulted in the largest evacuations in the province
of Shangai, Zhejiang, and Fujian since 1949 (BBC News/AFP). Damages
from the storm were estimated to be about $880 million (Associated
Press).