• California ‘rain debt’ equal to average full year of precipitation

    A new NASA study has concluded California accumulated a debt of about 508 mm (20 inches) of precipitation between 2012 and 2015 – the average amount expected to fall in the state in a single year. The deficit was driven primarily by a lack of air currents moving inland

  • Lake Powell drying out

    Lake Powell, a reservoir on the Colorado river, situated on the border between Utah and Arizona is drying out. It is currently at 45 percent of its normal capacity and at a risk of falling below 1075 feet (327.6 m) above sea level by September 2015. If this happens, it

  • North Korea hit by the worst drought in a century

    North Korea is facing its worst drought in a century, according to state media. South Hwanghae, North Hwanghae, South Pyongan and South Hamgyong, the country's main rice growing provinces are already heavily affected, and the fear of food shortages is increasing.&qu

  • Continuous heavy rain ends drought in Texas and Oklahoma

    Much of the high plains and south central regions of the continental United States have been unusually dry for some time. In particular, parts of Texas and Oklahoma have been in a drought for nearly five years until April and May 2015 when the weather changed to the

  • Water levels near Sao Paulo still dropping, Brazil

    Southeastern and eastern Brazil is already 100 to 200 millimeters (4 to 8 inches) below normal rainfall for the calendar year, following 400 millimeter deficits for 2014, NASA's Earth Observatory writes. According to news reports, the Cantareira reservoir system, wh

  • Sao Paulo’s largest water reservoir down to 5.6%

    The Cantareira water system, largest of the six reservoirs that provide water to 20 million people living in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, Brazil is at 5.6% (as of January 20) of its capacity of one trillion liters (264 billion gallons), as reported by the water

  • American Southwest suffers persistent drought conditions

    Most of the US Southwest region has been suffering from a persistent lack of rain and snow. More than 64 million people are directly affected by drought in the Southwest and Southern Plains, and far more are indirectly affected, mostly in agricultural sector.Drought