Drought continues to affect south-eastern USA by Rob McElwee
Although Tropical Storm Barry dropped more than 5 inches of rain across parts of South Carolina, it was not enough to stop state water officials from upgrading the official drought status across the US state.
Tropical Storm Barry developed over the Gulf of Mexico on the 1st of June and moved across Florida’s peninsula, producing some very much needed rain which topped 6 inches across eastern parts of Florida and Georgia, which also helped aid wildfires there that have been burning for months. Much of the rain fell from thunderstorms.
Many areas were not so lucky, however, as the rains missed western areas. Across Florida’s panhandle, Alabama and up into Kentucky, only scattered, light showers developed. This gave no relief to the parched landscape, resulting in further deterioration of pastures and summer crops.
The drought conditions are set to continue across parts of south-eastern USA as meteorologists predict the weather to become hot and dry for the rest of the week with temperatures in the mid 30’s Celsius (low to mid 90’s Fahrenheit), with little chance of rain.
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