The forecast indicates a transition away from widespread water surpluses and towards the gradual emergence of deficits. Exceptional deficits in western Cambodia are expected to persist through February or longer, but should diminish in extent after November. From September through November moderate deficits will begin to emerge in Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, southern Sumatra, and Java, and thereafter in Borneo and Sulawesi.
East Asia: Water surpluses in South China to diminish; deficits ahead for Hokkaido
Recent exceptional deficits in Mongolia, the Korean Peninsula, and Liaoning are expected to moderate in the near term – September through November. Widespread surpluses are expected to persist in southern China from Poyang Lake in Jiangxi southwest through Hunan into Guangxi and Yunnan, and the western Pearl River Delta, though the extent of exceptional surpluses will diminish considerably. The coastal southeast will transition from surplus to moderate deficit, a trend which is forecast to continue through May. After November, surpluses in Jiangxi through Yunnan will continue to diminish.
Australia: Intense water deficits to persist in Busselton, WA & Tasmania
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.