The forecast through March indicates a vast block of exceptional water deficits in southern Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, and a path of intense deficits stretching to China’s western border. Beijing, Hebei, and western Liaoning will also see exceptional deficits, and deficits are forecast in Shandong and Shanxi. Other areas of deficits include Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, eastern Sichuan, eastern Yunnan, and Hong Kong. Surpluses in Southeast China will increase, with exceptional surpluses forecast on the Lower and Middle Yangtze River and in Jiangxi, Hunan, and into eastern Guangxi.
East Asia: Water deficits expected to increase in Northeast China
Exceptional water deficits in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia through southern Xinjiang will diminish considerably, though widespread deficits of varying severity are expected. Deficits will increase in Northeast China and are expected to be intense in Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. In Southeast China, moderate to exceptional deficits are forecast for Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangxi, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Surpluses are forecast for the Huai River Basin. Moderate deficits are forecast for much of North Korea but deficits may be severe north of Pyongyang.
East Asia: Water deficits forecast to increase in Northeast China
The extent of exceptional water deficits in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang will diminish considerably though widespread deficits of varying severity are expected. Moderate to severe deficits will increase in Northeast China. Moderate surpluses are forecast for much of the Yellow River. Exceptional surpluses in eastern Qinghai will begin to moderate, and surpluses in the Yangtze River Basin will diminish and downgrade. Though exceptional deficits will shrink in Southeast China, intense deficits are forecast. Deficits will downgrade in North Korea and moderate surpluses will expand in South Korea.
China, Mongolia, & South Korea: Drought to persist in northern China, Mongolia; diminish in S. Korea
Deficit conditions in North China including the North China Plain and Mongolia are expected to dominate the 12-month period July 2015 through June 2016, with some areas experiencing both deficits and surpluses. Widespread surpluses are forecast for Southeast China, which may be of exceptional severity in Fujian and along the Pearl River (Zhujiang). However, both deficits in the North and surpluses in the South are forecast to diminish in severity during the latter part of the forecast period.