Exceptional water deficits observed in recent months over much of Australia are forecast to diminish considerably in the near-term and through May 2018. However, severe to exceptional deficits are forecast to persist through February in Tasmania and the southernmost tip of Western Australia. From September through November moderate to severe deficits are forecast in the southeast, exceptional deficits will persist in Northern Territory’s Top End, and surpluses will continue to emerge along Queensland’s northeast coast.
Canada: Water deficits in the Prairie Provinces to retreat
The near-term forecast through November indicates a significant retreat of exceptional water deficits in the Prairie Provinces. Deficits will persist in northeastern Manitoba and are forecast for much of Alberta, where they may be more intense north of Banff National Park in the southwest and may persist through February 2018 or longer. Surpluses in Southern Ontario north of Kitchener and in Ottawa are expected to diminish, and deficits are forecast for much of Northern Ontario. Deficits will persist in New Brunswick, and emerge in Quebec east of the St. Lawrence River.
South America: Widespread water deficits in Brazil to persist but moderate
The near-term forecast indicates that widespread water deficits will persist, though moderate, in Brazil. However, intense deficits are forecast for: Brazil’s far north into Suriname and French Guiana; Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte; north-central and southern Venezuela; Cochabamba, Bolivia; northern Chile; and Tierra del Fuego. Surpluses will persist in La Pampa and Buenos Aires Provinces, Argentina, and will emerge in Uruguay. After November deficits will retreat to eastern Brazil and surpluses will emerge in the northern Amazon Basin.
Africa: Exceptional water deficits to diminish considerably
Overall the extent of exceptional water deficits is expected to diminish considerably September through November leaving moderate deficits in the south and extreme to exceptional deficits across the southern Sahara. Exceptional surpluses are expected to persist in southeastern Tanzania, and while those areas of surplus will moderate slightly after November, surpluses will emerge throughout the country and may be particularly intense in Dodoma Region. Except for surpluses in East Africa, primarily moderate deficits are forecast for most of the continent from November through spring next year.
Europe: Moderate to severe water deficits ahead for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania
Exceptional water deficits are expected to diminish considerably in the coming months – persisting only in Finland – leaving moderate deficits throughout much of Europe with slightly more intense deficits in parts of the Balkans. Intense surpluses will persist in western Russia, and surpluses are also forecast for northern Sweden, central Germany, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. After November most areas of deficit will return to near-normal conditions. Intense surpluses will persist in western Russia, along with surpluses of lesser severity primarily in Northern Europe.





