Exceptional deficits are forecast to persist and intensify in a swath of countries in coastal West Africa from southern Liberia to Angola, and may continue to emerge in southern Africa. Exceptional surpluses are expected in Tanzania and surrounding areas.
Europe: Widespread drought persists, but transition to surplus is forecast
South America: Water deficits forecast in the Amazon, surpluses in the south
The forecast for South America indicates continued water deficits across the northern portion of the continent and along the Pacific coast from Peru through northern Chile. Water surpluses are expected in central Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil, northern Uruguay, and throughout much of Argentina.
Mexico, Central America, Caribbean: Widespread water deficits to persist
Widespread exceptional water deficits are forecast to spread in southern Mexico, Central America, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Nearly one million people are facing a food emergency in Guatemala, Puerto Rico has instituted water restrictions, and hunger-driven crime is on the rise in Guerrero, Mexico as drought withers crops.
The Levant & Middle East: Widespread Water Deficits Expected through October
Extreme to exceptional water deficits may dominate the region, including central Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, southern Iraq, and central Iran. Record-breaking high temperatures have prompted officials in Iraq to declare a four-day holiday and have incited protests over power outages. The heat has claimed nearly 100 lives in Egypt, and drought has helped turn Iran's Hamoun Wetlands, a major fish habitat, into a dust bowl.