Daily update- Monday, January 4, 2016

NWPAC outlook, 04 JAN

As we get back to normal after a long holiday week, we find that the weather situation is pretty much back to business as usual as well across eastern Asia and Oceania.  The north sees more cold air move in, while the central warms up just a bit. The south cools down a tad, and the tropics remain quiet.

NORTH

Heavy snowfall was reported this weekend over portions of northwestern China and southern Mongolia, with many locations seeing in excess of 50mm of wintry precipitation.  Cold air has also moved into portions of northeastern China, Korea, and eastern Russia. Locations to the south and east are considerably warmer, with Tokyo, Xi’an, and Shanghai averaging 7C higher temperatures this afternoon compared to Beijing and Seoul to the north. A weak pulse of energy is moving across the southeastern sections of the region, bringing a good deal of shower activity to eastern China.

CENTRAL

Temperatures across southern China, Taiwan, and northern Indochina are rebounding quickly, with afternoon highs quite a bit warmer compared to just 5 days ago. A weak weather disturbance is moving across portions of southeastern China and Taiwan, bringing a few showers along. This disturbance trails back into northern Vietnam and Laos, helping keep the sky cloudy.

 SOUTH

The intense heat in the south is starting to abate just a bit, but it’s still very warm across the region. The seasonal northeast monsoon is helping drive down the humidity levels across the region, resulting in some pleasant diurnal temperature swings nearing 10C (18F) each day. The atmosphere in the southern sections of the region is quite humid, so scattered showers and thunderstorms will affect portions of Indonesia and Malaysia during the peak of afternoon heating. Locations to the north, however, will all see just a few clouds and plenty of sunshine.

TROPICS

The tropics remain mostly quiet today with only a couple of disturbances to note within the I.T.C.Z. (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone). One weak wave is located in eastern Micronesia, and will affect Pohnpei and Chuuk islands today. The second wave is the remnant of what was TD09C, which was also known as 99W INVEST about a week ago. There is little risk of re-organization, but some showers associated with this system could be heavy and the Marshall Islands will see some gusty winds today, especially in, and near, thunderstorms. Elsewhere across the tropics, locations to the north and west can expect a wonderful day today, with plenty of sunshine and just a few scattered clouds, with Wake Island being the lone exception, looking at a raw, windy, shower-filled day.

Have a great Monday!!

Courtesy: CIMSS, HKO, Tropical Tidbits, Intellicast, Weather.com, MeteoEarth