Exceptional water deficits may persist in coastal Peru and Chile, extending a 3 year period of exceptional deficits. Drought related socioeconomic impacts are intensifying.
Central America and Northern South America: Exceptional Water Deficits July 2015 through January 2016
Exceptional water deficits are forecast for Central America starting in July and continuing through January 2016. Exceptional deficits are also forecast to hit Colombia, Ecuador, and Northern Peru in late summer. The area of extreme to exceptional deficits in Venezuela expands into Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana beginning in June, with the area of greatest deficits moving southward beginning in October. A sizable portion of Northern Brazil is forecast to experience exceptional deficits beginning in December 2015.
Venezuela: Exceptional Water Deficits to Expand, Continuing through January 2016
The region of exceptional deficits is forecast to expand northward, including most of the country by August 2015, and continuing in most of the country through January 2016. On an annual basis, nearly the entire country will experience exceptional deficits by the end of 2015 and into 2016.
Venezuela: Substantial deficits through Dec 2015
Venezuela is expected to continue to experience widespread deficits, with large portions of the country experiencing exceptional deficit conditions (return periods greater than 40 years) affecting both the heavily populated coastal areas and in the watershed for the Guri dam (highlighted on the map with a star).
Current Water Anomalies: Brazil
It is widely known that Brazil is in the midst of a crippling drought. The map is based on 3 months of observed data (Dec14-Feb15) and nine months of forecast data (Mar15-Nov15). It shows that the drought is likely to continue through November. This will severely stress the ability of Sao Paulo to provide water to its citizens where water is already rationed, and continue to restrict the ability of Brazil to produce hydropower requiring significant expenditures for backup generation from natural gas and oil.