Topic analysis

Weather tracker: Warm March in US leaves snowpack critically low

Concerns about coming wildfire risk, and temperatures also remain high on other side of Pacific where rare tropical cyclone has formed After a historically warm winter across nine states in the US, the first month of meteorological spring again brought exceptionally high temperatures, with numerous states recording new all-time high temperatures in March. The remarkable intensity and longevity of the warmth have left much of the mountain snowpack, a crucial source of water for millions in the American west, at critically low levels . Though precipitation totals tend to increase in spring, the low snowpack has raised concerns about a potentially severe wildfire season if conditions do not improve soon. And with further spells of abnormally warm, dry weather expected this week, the outlook is becoming increasingly worrying heading into the late spring and summer months. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Maila has recently developed in the Solomon Sea and is expected to strengthen to severe tropical cyclone status. The Port Moresby Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre named the system, which is the first named storm for Papua New Guinea since Cyclone Guba in 2007. The Solomon Sea’s proximity to the equator makes it rare for tropical cyclones to develop there. Maila is not only rare location-wise, it is forecast to be the strongest storm to impact or make landfall in Papua New Guinea. After stalling in the Solomon Sea, there is a risk the storm may drift south-west over the coming days, potentially affecting the Australian state of Queensland later this week. Further north, parts of south-east and east Asia are expected to see a continuation of abnormally high temperatures this week, with parts of northern Vietnam and some provinces in southern China potentially recording temperatures of 35-39C, about 10C hotter than expected for this time of year in places. High temperatures are even expected further south, with Cambodia and southern parts of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam potentially approaching 40C. The extreme temperatures will be joined by very high humidity levels, potentially creating dangerous levels of heat stress for millions of people.