A few showers and thunderstorms will dot the area once again on Monday, but conditions will largely be in favor of the firefighters with decent relative humidity during the afternoon. The fire is now 55 percent contained and that is expected to increase as the week continues, with a full containment date estimated for Thursday, June 20.
To say 'I can do this' even when you know you can't.**
Stephen King
No update on Tuesday this week.
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
None 5.0 or higher.
Yesterday -
6/16/13 -
5.9 CRETE, GREECE
5.8 MACQUARIE ISLAND REGION
6.1 PUEBLA, MEXICO
5.6 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical storms.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Severe weather is expected to target portions of central Europe this week thanks to a spell of UNUSUALLY WARM WEATHER across the region. Portions of Germany, Poland, Belarus and the Ukraine will be the focus of severe weather on Monday and Tuesday.
On Monday, storms will be rather scattered across northern Germany and perhaps even Denmark. Despite the scattered nature of storms, those that do fire will manage to bring some gusty winds to their surrounds. The threat will shift to the east and south on Tuesday. Damaging winds and hail will be the primary threats from the storms on Tuesday. Storms will generally move north to south, and be the most widespread over Poland, Belarus and the Ukraine. The Polish city of Warsaw is probably the largest population center at risk of seeing severe storms on Tuesday.
By Wednesday the risk for severe weather will shift to a storm over western Europe, bringing the potential for heavy showers and thunderstorms to France, Belgium and far western Germany. The low pressure system responsible for the unusual heat across western and central Europe will develop a warm and moist airmass across the aforementioned portions of Europe on Wednesday, the perfect fuel for severe weather.
Heavy downpours and large hail will be the primary threats both days, however damaging wind gusts will also likely be present. Storms will likely be reserved to France on Wednesday, with Paris, Dijon and Lyon all at risk to the strong storms.
Thursday's severe threat is not as east to pin down. While the storm is expected to move east it is questionable how far east the storms will progress. Some modeling shows severe weather working to about the Netherlands and western Germany. Others give places as far east as Denmark and eastern Germany a second round of severe weather.
After drought, U.S. upper Midwest now too soggy to farm - Burned brown from the unrelenting drought, some corn, wheat, hay and soybean crop yields were off by two-thirds. Now, it's just the opposite. This has been THE WETTEST SPRING IN 40 YEARS for much of the nation's corn belt.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -
Western U.S. drought intensifies, wildfires continue - A RECORD-BREAKING HEAT WAVE intensified drought conditions in much of the West during the past week, with 72 percent of the land area in the 10 Western states now in drought conditions, according to the latest update to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought Impact Showing Up in Western Nebraska Trees - With the high temperatures, extreme winds and low precipitation levels for 2012, many in western Nebraska are reporting dying trees.
Drought Is Causing U.S. Beef Prices To Skyrocket - Last year's historic drought hit the U.S. agriculture industry hard, and major losses in feed crops have driven the price of beef to RECORD HIGHS. And prices are expected to climb if the dry weather in the Midwest and Great Plains continues.
Texas Drought Dehydrating More Than Just the Lakes - The three-year (and counting) Texas drought is progressively draining the rice industry. In order to deal with dangerously low water levels in the Highland Lakes, rice farmers on the Lower Colorado River were cut off from their water supply in March 2012.
Drought, damaging storms create conundrum for U.S. High Plains cotton - The combination of prolonged drought, recent rainfall, high winds, damaging hail and blowing sand has created a conundrum for High Plains farmers. A June 5 storm delivered rain, hail and wind. “Despite a mixed bag of impact, the storms certainly were not enough to break the ongoing drought, although many fields did receive timely and beneficial moisture. The reality of the situation is that the storms were at best a temporary respite and additional rainfall will need to come soon for any dryland cotton to get to harvest."
Drought still an issue - Despite parts of the Missouri River basin receiving up to three times the normal May precipitation, drought conditions continue and reservoirs remain below normal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says
Australia increases drought assistance to Marshall islands - Australia is increasing emergency drought assistance to the Marshall Islands, in the face of a dire food and water shortage.
Drought Drives Angolans Into Namibia for Pastures - Because of severe drought both in Namibia and Angola, the two countries are expected to witness the most significant cross-border movement since the civil war, with Angolans coming to Namibia in droves in search of grazing.
