Countries across the world are currently experiencing extreme weather and droughts. The largest freshwater lake in China is at its lowest water levels for years thanks to a drought, according to state officials and media. The shrinking lake does not bode well for fishermen who rely on it for their livelihoods and for the local ecology.

The Xinhua news agency stated that Poyang Lake, located in East China’s Jiangxi province, is shrinking quickly and has experienced over a decade-long dry spell. This is due to the Gan River, which is connected to the lake, not receiving enough rain and causing the water levels to hit record lows. “This year’s level is very low,” an anonymous official declared, affirming that the rainfall for the area was 65 percent less than average for December.

Texas is also experiencing its worst drought on record. The year 2011 was the driest ever for the state, says the National Weather Service, and it was the second hottest. Meteorologists do not believe this will improve for the year 2012 and the result will be further restrictions on water and the death of millions of trees. Lake Lavon has shrunk by 12 feet due to North Texas’ lack of rain and record-setting heat. “It is a challenging time, especially to bring awareness to our consumers and businesses how critical our drought has impacted our reservoirs,” stated Denise Hickey, spokesperson for the North Texas Municipal Water District. “As we’re planning to move through this drought period, we’re also planning and initiating additional strategies to bring additional sources online.” The Texas Forest Service believes that so far, the severe drought has killed 500 million trees.

In Latin America, nations have also been dealing with a plethora of problems stemming from the extreme weather, including wildfires, droughts, and floods. Many have wondered if climate change and global warming are responsible for the unusual weather and according to experts, this is most likely the case. Chile experienced an uncharacteristic heat wave, which resulted in rampant burning wildfires, while Northern Mexico has been dealing with its worst drought in 70 years.

On the other hand, Colombia has had two seasons of heavy rain, which has killed 182 people and resulted in about $2 billion in damage. A rose farm in a Colombian town named Chia sustained an estimated $6 million dollars in damages from the April and December floods. Javier Castellanos, the rose farm manager, stated, “Never in the history of this farm- and it’s a business with 30 years in the market- have we ever had any such problem.” Researchers assert that Latin America is at more risk to the extreme weather changes worsening in the future than any other region in the world because of deforestation and its sprawling construction. These elements cause it to be more vulnerable to landslides and flooding.

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The heat wave that smothered much of the central portion of the United States in July might have moved eastward in August, but Texas continues to feel the burn through September. Cities across the state, such as Dallas, saw the weather stay hot, and even began seeing record-breaking streaks for triple digit temperatures.

Wichita Falls, a city in northern Texas along the Texas-Oklahoma border, saw their 100th day of triple digit temperatures on September 13. The city was also the first city in Texas to reach 100 days of 100-degree weather. The longest consecutive number of days with 100 degree or higher temperatures in Wichita Falls was 79 days in 1980.

Wichita Falls is another city that can be added to the list of cities in Texas that have seen such a streak. Dallas reached a 100-degree plus weather on the same day as Wichita Falls. Laredo, a city approximately 220 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, has already seen over 100 days of 100- degree plus temperatures. Laredo also saw similar streaks in 1989 and 1998.

The temperatures are not helping wildfires that are continuing to scorch the state. What little rainfall the state saw in August was not helpful, either. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the average amount of rainfall in Texas was 0.73 inches, which is far below average. Lack of rain has been contributing to the current drought in Texas, which is at D4 – Exceptional, the most severe level of drought on the US Drought Monitor.

When the amount of rainfall is small, less moisture in the soil is available to be evaporated into the air. Temperatures then rise faster because there is not enough moisture in the atmosphere to slow rising temperatures and keep the temperatures cool, writes Brett Israel in OurAmazingPlanet.com.

Forecasters at Weather.com predicted cooler temperatures and thunderstorms for Wichita Falls for the following days after the 100-degree temperature streak. Predictions hovered between the high-80s to high-90s for the city.

Temperatures immediately began falling on September 14, and stayed within the predicted range. There were also small amounts of rain, though still way below the average amount Wichita Falls usually sees by this time of the year.

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