Drought — Micronesia, Guam

2024-06-01 to 2024-06-30 · Micronesia, Guam

Event narrative

Yap State remains the hardest hit by short-term and long-term drought in the FSM. Yap Proper, Ulithi and nearby islands started June in extreme (D3) drought. Photos taken June 4th of the Gitam Reservoir on Yap Proper, showed water levels at the reservoir are near or below levels recorded during the 2016 drought. These islands remained in D3 until June 25th, when they improved to severe (D2) drought in as the slow transition to the summer monsoon pattern started to bring increased rainfall western Micronesia. Woleai, an island in eastern Yap State, entered June in severe (D2) drought, and would improve to (D1) drought June 4th as passing trade-wind disturbances brought periods of increased rainfall to Woleai and nearby islands. Woleai then remained in D1 for the month of June. Overall, short-term and long-term drought impacts continued to strain water and agricultural resources across Yap State, with residents continuing to be urged to ration fresh water usage.

Wider weather episode

Greatest impacts from the drought created by the dry season and dry phase of the waning El Nio continued to be the greatest across islands near and north of 8N, especially across Yap State. In June, CPC announced that El Nio and transitioned to ENSO-neutral. Rainfall increased across the Marianas as the region entered a more typical summer pattern with the Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough (TUTT) extending across the central and west Pacific.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1196391. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.