Weather Report 30 November 2017
South Africa - Weather The frequent precipitation pattern will continue for portions of eastern and central South Africa during the coming week. Moisture totals through next Wednesday morning will range from 1.00 to 5.00 inches for Natal and Mpumalanga through eastern and northern Free State and much of North West. A few pockets in Mpumalanga could also receive more than 8.00 inches of rain. Eastern and central Eastern Cape will receive 0.40 to 1.00 inch of rain with local amounts over 2.00 inches near Natal. Establishment and development conditions will remain mostly favorable from Natal and Mpumalanga into portions of Free State and North West during the next two weeks. The ground will be a little too wet at times in a few pockets and will likely slow planting and fieldwork progress. Minor flooding could also impact recently planted crops. Limpopo will trend a little too dry to support favorable crop conditions during the first week of the outlook, though some improvement will be possible during the second week. Northern Cape and western fringes of Free State and North West will remain too dry for favorable establishment and growth during the next two weeks. Much of the precipitation that does occur will be too light to impact long-term soil conditions.
United States of America - Weather U.S. MIDWEST: Today s forecast includes less precipitation Sunday into early next week associated with a storm system and an accompanying surge of cold air. Good late season harvest progress will occur in nearly all of the Midwest through the next two weeks. The greatest interruption to fieldwork from precipitation will occur Sunday evening into Tuesday with most of the significant precipitation confined to southern and eastern parts of the eastern Midwest. Few crops should be left unharvested by that time and whatever harvesting that has yet to be completed should occur in the week of mostly dry weather expected to follow. U.S. DELTA AND SOUTHEAST: Good harvest progress will continue through Sunday in the Delta and the Southeast. Some light rain will fall on the Delta today with a large part of the Southeast seeing light showers into Saturday. Otherwise, dry conditions will occur most often through Sunday and fieldwork should advance around the showers expected. A significant storm system will occur Monday into next Wednesday and fieldwork will be interrupted, but with most of the precipitation expected to be light and drier weather expected to follow most interruptions to fieldwork should be temporary.
South America - Weather BRAZIL: Central and northern parts of Brazil and Paraguay will see regular rounds of showers and thunderstorms through the next two weeks while much of southern Brazil dries down overall. Enough rain should fall outside of southern Brazil to maintain favorable conditions for most crops while causing planting delays at times. However, fieldwork should advance around the rain in most areas with the greatest delays expected through Dec. 6 from Mato Grosso do Sul to Minas Gerais where rain will be most frequent and heaviest. ARGENTINA: The driest areas in western Argentina are still expected to benefit from daily showers through this weekend. San Luis into Cordoba and northeastern La Pampa will see showers through this weekend with Santiago del Estero seeing showers Friday into Sunday. Some areas will receive enough rain to induce significant improvements in soil moisture, but other areas will not receive enough to induce more than temporary improvements in soil moisture and these locations will be left vulnerable to a quick increase in crop stress if a period of hot and dry weather were to evolve. Nearly all areas will be left with more favorable soil conditions by Monday than what is in place today.
Europe, New Zealand and Australia - Weather EUROPE: Beneficial rain fell over Portugal and into southern Spain Tuesday into early this morning. The return of drier biased weather will mean that the recent boost in soil moisture will be short lived and follow up rain will still be needed to end drier biased trends over the Iberian Peninsula. AUSTRALIA: Not much has changed in the outlook from earlier this week. Rain will continue to increase over eastern Australia this week. The greatest rain will occur over southeast South Australia into Victoria and surrounding south New South Wales Thursday through Saturday. The greatest rain will shift to northeast New South Wales and southeast Queensland this weekend into Monday. The rain will disrupt farming activity and some quality issues may arise in any unharvested winter wheat, barley and canola in the greatest rainfall areas. Otherwise, the moisture will be beneficial in bolstering soil moisture conditions for summer crops throughout the region. Some greater rain will still be needed over northwest New South Wales into western Queensland.