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Brazil was badly affected by drought for much of the period 2011–2015. The north-east of the country suffered significant drought in 2012 and 2013. A relatively localized drought also
developed in the São Paulo region during 2013, which spread to many other parts of eastern Brazil during the second half of 2014 and early 2015. Conditions improved slightly in some parts of
eastern Brazil from February 2015, although the north-east remained dry. Meanwhile, large parts of the Amazon basin, centred on Brazil but also extending into neighbouring countries, were
extremely dry in the southern hemisphere winter and spring in both 2014 and 2015, especially the latter; for example, rainfall at Manaus for June–October 2015 was 58% below normal. The dry
conditions, which were accompanied by temperatures generally 2 °C to 3 °C above normal, contributed to very high fire activity, with the number of fires in Amazonas state in 2015 at record
levels. The drought in the São Paulo region placed great stress on local water resources, with levels in local water storages falling to below 10% during the 2014/2015 summer, and resultant
severe restrictions on water supply. The United States and adjacent areas of northern Mexico also experienced significant drought over large areas in the period 2011–2015. Texas and northern
Mexico underwent a severe drought year in 2011, with drought conditions spreading to cover much of the central United States during 2012 and 2013. In July 2012, 64.5% of the continental
United States was classified as being in drought, the largest extent since the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s. Total economic losses due to drought in the United States between 2011 and 2014
were estimated by NOAA NCEI at approximately US$ 60 billion. Parts of southern Africa were also affected by drought from late 2013, particularly Namibia, Angola and the North West province
of South Africa in the 2013/2014 wet season, and much of South Africa from mid-2014 onward. The period from July 2014 to June 2015 was the driest on record for the province of KwaZuluNatal,
and the fifth-driest for South Africa as a whole, while the 2015 calendar year was the driest on record for South Africa. Indian monsoon season (June–September) rainfall was more than 10%
below normal in both 2014 and 2015. A DOWN TO EARTH REPORT had stated that in nine out of past 15 years, about 100 districts of the country witnessed a drought like-situation, triggered by
failure of south-west monsoon. During the period November 2013–April 2014, extreme drought conditions were recorded over an area extending from the Mediterranean coastal Middle East,
northward through Turkey and eastward through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Destructive flooding in many parts of the world contributed to major casualties and heavy economic
losses. India and Pakistan were particularly affected, with destructive flooding occurring in one or both countries in each monsoon season from 2011 to 2014. The MOST DESTRUCTIVE SINGLE
EVENT OCCURRED IN JUNE 2013, when very heavy rain in the far north of India, particularly in Uttarakhand state, was a major contributor to a series of events that resulted in more than 5,800
deaths. Four-day rainfalls over the most severely affected region were unprecedented, and the wettest day (16 June) had one-day rainfall 105% higher than that of any previous June day. Many
of the deaths occurred in landslides. DESTRUCTIVE FLOODING ALSO OCCURRED IN KASHMIR and downstream areas in both India and Pakistan in September 2014. Pakistan also experienced significant
flooding in both 2011 and 2012. In September 2012, about five million people were affected and 460,000 homes were damaged or destroyed due to flooding. Flash floods led to significant
casualties in many parts of the world during the period 2011–2015. The worst single event occurred in January 2011, when more than 900 lives were lost in a flash flood north of Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.