The Europe Drought Observatory most recent soil moisture anomaly analysis reveals dramatic improvement across much of Europe including France to U.K. and Ireland where moderate drought leftover from last summer remained into early March.

The Great Plains drought area is worsening as soil moisture trend is drier although a wetter trend is notable across east and south portions of Texas plus the East-central States.

According to 2 recent studies done separately at University of Arizona and Tulane University, researchers have determined sea level rise has accelerated since 2010 in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The rise, on average, is about 5-6 inches.

Tropical Storm 18 is located off the north-northwest coast of Australia and forecast to drift southwestward and become a major tropical cyclone within 48 hours and by midweek turn into the Port Hedland area as a category-4 tropical cyclone.