Happy Monday!
This 2nd week of May (9-15th) looks to be another challenging week for both retailers and farmers. We'll take a tour around the world but first the U.S.
U.S. overall will have near average temperatures but the cool spots will befrom Montana to Virginia while the West and Deep South trend above average. We could even have some very late frost in parts of the Upper Midwest and as far South as Central Iowa and Northern Illinoislate this week into the weekend. Rainfall will be the driest in 3 years for the U.S. overall and 11% below average - a plus for outdoor activities and store traffic. The
U.S. Corn Belt will trend the coolest in 6 years with rainfall 35% above average but drying out for the latter half of the week with the 13th-19th period pretty good (dry) for any farm planting/spraying.
Down in
Brazil the heat and dry has returned to Mato Grosso (#1 Corn growing area in Brazil) where it will be the #1 hottest in 25+ years and driest in 9 years. Not good for a crop already damaged with the excessive heat/drought in April. Parana was also hit hard in April with heat and now add the #1 wettest 2nd week of May in over 25 years and 537% above average rainfall - not good!
Argentina is in Fall and their SoyBean harvest continues with challenging weather with the coldest conditions in 15 years and 51% above average rainfall for the SoyBean growing regions.
Europe is also on the cool side with heavy rainfall trending the #1 wettest in 25+ years for Europe overall with 78% above average rainfall.
Ukraine is the biggest Corn growing region in Europe and they're trending very wet with 175% above average rainfall, most in over 25 years but at least the warmest in 3 years.
The #1 Corn growing region in
China is Heilongjiang Province where it will be the 2nd wettest in 25 years, 188% above average and hottest in 12 years while they start planting.
Finally, not much good news for the Fort McMurray wild fire. If fire fighters don't get it under control in the next day or so while humidity is higher and some spotty light rain they'll be facing more very low humidity levels, low soil moisture levels for the next 9 days! See our facebook post for an animation of the weather conditions around Alberta.
Have a great week folks! - Capt Kirk out.