The Stream, July 30: Asian Rainfall Picks Up, While U.S. Drought Brings Benefits

South and East Asia
Despite fears of drought, the monsoon in India increased Sunday, driven by northerly winds and upper air cyclonic circulation. Parts of the state of Rajasthan are expected to receive more rainfall over the coming days, according to The Times of India.

A July 14 announcement of a Malaysian “water crisis” is now being attributed to politics as opposed to an actual shortage, Reuters reported.

Flooding in North Korea killed 88 people and displaced tens of thousands over the weekend, threatening to exacerbate the country’s acute food crisis, AlertNet reported, citing state media.

Cyclone Saola has flooded 20 villages in the Philippines. The storm is heading toward Taiwan and China, according to ABC Radio Australia.

Drought Effects
Climate Central and the National Severe Storms Laboratory have noticed a correlation between this year’s drought and the low frequency of tornados in the United States, according to Huff Post Green.

The annually occurring low-oxygen “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico is the fourth smallest it has been since measurements began in 1985. Researchers say this is because less fertilizer has been used during the drought and has not been washed from the Mississippi River into the Gulf, The Associated Press reported.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.