A quickly deteriorating food security outlook in Somalia triggered international humanitarian appeals in 2016. In this analysis we investigate the roles of climate change and El Niño in the observed very low precipitation using both climate models and observational data.
In Kenya, the distressing numbers associated with the ongoing drought continue to mount. As of February 2017, the drought has affected 23 of 47 counties. The cost of maize has risen by a third in the past year, while production of the staple crop has plunged.
The contiguous United States (CONUS) was exceedingly warm east of the Rockies in February 2017, and is notable as being the 27th month in a row with more record highs than lows.
New South Wales, southeastern Australia, its hottest summer on record in 2017. Temperature records across the central and the eastern parts of Australia were broken, leading the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to issue a Special Climate Statement on the exceptional heat.
Severe winter weather struck southeastern Europe, with extreme cold and snow in Italy, the Balkans and Turkey. This caused many accidents on roads, school closures, and cancelled flights. The Danube river and Bosporus sea strait were closed for shipping.