GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

FEBRUARY 2011


AUSTRAILIA
Western

In contrast to the eastern portions of Australia, Western Australia
suffered from dry conditions and wildfires during the first part of
February. Between February 6th and 8th a large wildfire burned on the
outskirts of Perth, destroying buildings and damaging another 32.
Strong sustained winds of 20 mph (30 km/h) and gusts as high as 40 mph
(64 km/h) fueled the fires and hampered the efforts of 150
firefighters. Two other nearby fires threatened homes and businesses
in the towns of Brigadoon, Baskerville, Millendon and Red Hill. The
fires were contained by the 8th, but not before burning nearly 3,707.

Southeast

The remnants of tropical cyclone Yasi quickly raced across Queensland
and stalled out across the southeastern Australian state of Victoria,
causing floods on February 4th -6th. Heavy rains impacted the region
during January, and Yasi worsened the already soggy conditions. ABC
Australia reported the worst flash floods occurred across northwestern
Victoria. Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, was also hard
hit with flooding. A state of emergency was issued to keep people from
entering the streets of the city on inflatable toys and rafts.
Moisture from the storm interacted with a cold front pushing across
Victoria to cause the heavy rains. Southeast of Melbourne, damage to
potato, cauliflower, and broccoli farms was widespread. Up to 7 inches
(175 mm) of rain fell in the city over the course of a single day and
wind gusts of 80 mph (130 km/hr) were reported. The State Emergency
Service said 84 people were rescued from cars that stalled in flooded
streets and from inundated properties.

EUROPE

On February 8th, dense smog settled over Madrid, Spain, causing air
pollution concerns for the capital city for several days. Smog
warnings were issued when the nitrogen dioxide levels in the city rose
above 5 times the legal limit of 200 micrograms per cubic meter, set
by the European Union. A strong high pressure system over the Iberian
Peninsula prevented the dispersion of air pollution and limited
rainfall which can act as a natural air purifier. The heavy automobile
traffic in the city also contributed to the problem. Such a high level
of nitrogen dioxide can cause stress on vulnerable populations such as
senior citizens and young children.

MEXICO

A rare cold snap took place between February 3rd -4th across the
northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Temperatures dropped to 0F (-18C)
in the border city of Ciudad Juarez. This is the lowest temperature
recorded in the city since 1950. Six people were reported to have died
due to the freezing temperatures. Power outages due to increased power
demand closed factories and businesses across the state. Snow reported
in the city closed the airport for several hours as officials did not
have the infrastructure to handle the ankle deep snow. City shelters
were filled to capacity as residents without electricity and heat
searched for reprieve from the freezing temperatures. A zoo in the
town of Aldama lost power, causing the failure of heating elements for
the animals and 35 animals froze to death — 14 parrots, 13 serpents,
five iguanas, two crocodiles and a capuchin monkey.

ASIA

Between February 1st and 6th, heavy rainfall impacted northern Sri
Lanka for six consecutive days, following flooding which hit the
region during January. Authorities confirmed 11 deaths and another two
missing. Flood waters inundated roads cutting off several towns to
aid, and reports claim that 1.25 million people were directly affected
by the floods. More than 320,000 people were displaced and forced to
move into government refugee camps. The Anuradhapura and Polonnaurwa
districts were the hardest hit, located northeast of the capital city
Colombo. Over 90 percent of the country’s rice crops were threatened,
which is a staple food for those who live in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka
cultivates 570,000 hectares (1.4 million acres) of rice paddies twice
a year and another 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres) had recently been
added in the northern and eastern provinces, the government says.

Warm temperatures during the first half of February caused the snow
pack over the high terrain of Afghanistan to melt, leading to flooding
in the
western regions of the country. TOLOnews reported that hundreds of
homes and thousands of acres of agricultural land were destroyed due
to the run-off water. Six people were reported killed in western Herat
province, and in Herat and Shindand provinces combined, at least 2,000
households were affected by the high waters. Regions of the Zerko
Valley were the hardest hit, where farm lands became lakes. The
floodwater could be beneficial in the longer term, providing nutrients
and moisture to crop lands for the upcoming growing season.

SOUTH AMERICA

Heavy rains across Bolivia the last weekend of February caused
landslides across several regions of the country. At least 45 people
were reported to have been killed due to floods and mudslides, and
another 10,000 people lost their homes. Particularly hard hit was the
capital city of La Paz, where 2 inches (50.8 mm) of rain fell on the
25th and 26th nearly half the February monthly average. Much of the
city is built upon steep mountainsides, and the deluge of water caused
the mountainsides to weaken. A bridge collapse near the Kupini II area
of La Paz killed five people in a bus. The bridge collapse prompted
evacuations of the area before a 91 hectare piece of the mountain
slide away, destroying 400 homes in the neighborhood. Fortunately, the
evacuations prevented any further deaths in the city. The densely
populated neighborhood of Valle de Las Flores was also threatened by
weakened hillsides. According to media reports, the landslides were
the worst to ever affect La Paz. The worst of the flooding occurred in
the northern Amazon lowlands, where dozens of rural communities were
cut off by rivers that had burst their banks. The Bolivian government
blamed the unusualness of this year's rainy season on La Nina.

TROPICAL CYCLONES

Severe tropical cyclone Yasi made landfall in northern Queensland near
Mission Beach on February 3rd. When the storm made landfall, it
produced wind gusts estimated as high as 177 mph (285 km/hr) and a
central minimum pressure of 929 mb. Rainfall totals were generally
between 7.9-11.8 inches (200-300 mm), but localized higher amounts
were reported 18.5 inches (471 mm) in South Mission Beach,18.2 inches
(464 mm) in Hawkins Creek, 16.0 inches (407 mm) in Zattas, and 14.7
inches (373 mm) at Bulgun Creek. A storm tide of 16.4 feet (5 meters)
was measured during the astronomical low tide which helped to limit
inland inundation due to the storm. Estimates by Tropical Storm Risk,
Inc. placed damages near 3.5 billion U.S. dollars, which made Yasi the
second most costly tropical cyclone to ever affect Australia. Cyclone
Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas Day in 1974 and cost approximately 3.6
billion U.S. dollars (adjusted to 2011) in damage. Yasi missed the
highly populated cities along the coast, which also limited the amount
of damage. Media reports claim that up to 90 percent of structures in
the towns where the eye of the storm made landfall were damaged or
destroyed.

On February 14th, Tropical Cyclone Bingiza made landfall near
Saranambana, along Madagascar’s northeastern coast, with maximum
sustained winds estimated at 115 miles per hour (185 km/hr), according
to the U.S. Navy. This ranked Bingiza as a Category three tropical
cyclone. The storm caused six deaths in Madagascar, destroyed 8,500
buildings, and left 15,000 people homeless. Bingiza traversed the
rugged terrain of Madagascar and re-emerged over the Mozambique
Channel between Africa and Madagascar on the 15th as a tropical
depression. Late in the day on the 15th, Bingiza re-intensified to a
tropical storm over the warm waters and made a second landfall along
Madagascar’s southeastern coast. Across the entire country, 14 people
were killed, 64 were injured, and another 11 reported missing.

Tropical Cyclone Carlos formed off the northern Australian coast on
February 14th, and remained stationary for three days over Australia's
Northern Territory coastal region. On the 16^th , 13.4 inches (340 mm)
of rain fell in Darwin, breaking the 24-hour rainfall record for the
city. The three day total precipitation (14th- 16th) for the city was
26.96 inches (684.8 mm), also a record. The rains caused heavy
flooding in Darwin, and the city tied the record rainfall for the
month by the 17th. The city dam on the outskirts of Darwin was
overtopped by rising water, leaving Darwinians to watch as belongings
were swept away in the resulting floods. The Darwin airport was forced
to close for two days because of the deluge of water. City residents
were warned to watch out for snakes and crocodiles, as the animals
were disturbed by the heavy rains. As Carlos moved off to the
Southwest, it brought heavy rain and strong winds to the northern
regions of Western Australia on the 18th through 22nd , forcing the
suspension of petroleum mining projects.
Floodwaters in the town of Carnarvon peaked at 23 feet (7 meters)
above flood stage on the 19^th , causing minor damage to buildings in
the town. Although flooding was widespread, total damage caused by the
storm appeared to be minimal.

SEVERE WINTER WEATHER

A very large and strong winter storm hit the central and northeastern
U.S. and southern Canada between February 1^st and 3^rd and was dubbed
the 'Groundhog’s Day Blizzard of 2011'. Impacts were also felt from
New Mexico northward to Wisconsin and eastward into Maine. Reports of
snowfall over 20 inches (50.8 cm) were widespread. At one point, the
storm stretched over 2,000 miles (3,200 km), and 22 states had
snowfall accumulations greater than five inches (12.7 cm). Portions of
southern Ontario, Canada, received 7.9 inches (20 cm) of snow. The
storm also brought heavy amounts of freezing rain and ice to portions
of the Ohio River Valley and Great Lakes, with some locations
observing up to 1.0 inch of ice accumulations. The storm also brought
strong winds and gusts as high as 70 mph (113 km/hr) were reported in
Chicago. On the 2nd, an estimated 375,000 households in the U.S. and
southern Canada were without power due to the snow, ice, and strong
winds. Across the U.S., 6,300 flights were cancelled with 938 of those
being at Chicago’s Hare International Airport. In the state of
Missouri, all 250 miles of Interstate Highway 70 closed. Highways and
rail systems were also closed across much of Illinois. In Oklahoma,
the Tulsa World newspaper was unable to publish because of the heavy
snow — the first time in its 105-year history. Chicago observed 20.2
inches (51.3 cm) of snow for the event, which is the third largest
snowfall accumulation ever recorded for the city. Media reports claim
the combination of the heavy snowfall and the gusty winds made this
the worst blizzard in Chicago’s history. The largest snow accumulation
associated with the storm was in Antioch, Illinois, where 27 inches
(68.6 cm) of snow was measured. The storm weakened somewhat as it
moved into the Northeast on the 3rd, dropping around a foot (30.5 cm)
of snow in New England. In total, at least 10 people died across the
U.S. due to the storm.

On February 4th, a winter storm moved across northern Texas, dropping
four to six inches (10-15 cm) of snow over the Dallas, Texas
metropolitan area. The average annual snowfall for the city is 2.6
inches (6.6 cm). The snow caused the cancellation of more than 300
flights at Dallas airports, as fans were arriving for Super Bowl XLV.
Media reports claimed that hotels catering to the influx of sports
fans handed out ski hats and scarves alongside the regionally iconic
cowboy hat. As crews prepared the stadium for the game, chunks of ice
fell, sending seven workers to the hospital. By the time the game was
played on the 6th, conditions had warmed and most of the snow had
melted. The National Football League (NFL) was impacted by several
weather events this season. The first Monday night game of the season
started with a delay due to thunderstorms in a New York City suburb
and the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed due to heavy
snow on the roof on December 12th.

On February 8th and 9th, a winter storm brought heavy snow to the
south-central U.S., breaking many local snowfall records. This storm
was on the heels of the “Groundhogs Day” major snow storm. Snowfall
totals in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas topped 20 inches (50
cm). The 5.5 inches (14 cm) of snow in Tulsa, Oklahoma brought the
seasonal snowfall total to 26 inches (60 cm), marking the snowiest
winter on record for the city. Oklahoma City observed 6 inches (15 cm)
of snow, making February 2011 its second snowiest month (18 inches) on
record, behind March 1923. The back-to-back snow storms caused
numerous roofs to collapse and there were at least 80 reports of storm-
related injuries. Tulsa spent 2 million U.S. dollars on 68 pieces of
snow removal equipment and 600 tons of salt to help clear roads. The
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), making federal money
available to reimburse municipalities for snow-related costs. In
addition to the heavy snow, very cold temperatures moved into the
region. On the 10th, the temperature in Nowata, Oklahoma dropped to
-31 degrees F (-35 degrees C), breaking the all-time coldest
temperature record for the state of Oklahoma.

Between February 11th and 14th, a strong storm grazed the eastern
coast of the Korean Peninsula, dropping over 3 feet (91 cm) of snow.
Samcheok, South Korea measured 39 inches of snow (100 cm) during the
course of the storm, the largest storm accumulation measured in South
Korea since records began in 1911. It was reported that one rural town
received 31.5 inches (80 cm) of snow in 24 hours potentially a new
South Korean record for snowfall a single day. The South Korean
military sent 12,000 soldiers
To assist stranded motorists and trapped residents in the region, and
officials in the Gangwon province mobilized 22,600 volunteers and
1,750 snow plows to clear highways. Property damages were estimated at
4.3 million U.S. dollars. There were 80 flights canceled and 40
delayed at Gimhae International Airport and roads were closed in and
around the nearby port city of Busan. Officials said that 146 remote
households in the Gangwon province were unreachable due to the deep
snow. To the west,
Seoul was spared the worst of the snow, but the Han River froze over
for the first time in years, according to the BBC. The heavy snow
arrived on the heels of South Korea’s coolest January since the
1960s.