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A tale of two coasts: Stunning Nasa satellite animation reveals record rainfall on the east side of the US while the west scorches

From the Rockies westward, rainfall has been much sparser over the last six months, according to Nasa data
Nasa animation also shows how California and the southwest received little relief from their punishing drought
Pacific northwest has received below average rainfall and snowfall which they rely on part of their water supply

By Ellie Zolfagharifard For Dailymail.com

Published: 12:40 EST, 31 July 2015 | Updated: 16:13 EST, 31 July 2015

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The US has seen a tale of two extremes this year.

Severe drought plagues the West Coast, causing states like California to take serious measures for water conservation.

Then, last week, Southern California got a deluge of rain that caused flooding, while in Texas, heavy rains and flash flooding this summer seem to have erased drought memories.

Now, new views from Nasa satellites delve into the details of where the water is, or not, from the dry west to the soggy east.

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The US has seen a tale of two extremes this year. Severe drought plagues the West Coast, causing states like California to take serious measures for water conservation.

The visualisation of rainfall data collected from space shows the stark contrast between east and west for the first half of 2015.

The rainfall data shown here, from January 1 through July 16, is from the joint Nasa-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.

Accumulated rain totals are shown in different colours: 0 to 1 inch is light blue, up to 12 inches is green, up to 20 inches is yellow, and up to 40 inches is red.

NASA images show record rainfall on the East Coast

The visualisation of rainfall data collected from space shows the stark contrast between east and west for the first half of 2015. The rainfall data shown here is from the joint Nasa-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission

A MASSIVE EL NINO IS COMING

A US government weather forecaster this month warned that much-watched El Nino conditions are likely to last another 9 months.

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center said there is a 90 per cent chance that El Nino would continue through this winter.

It added that it could help relief the drought in California and that there is an 80 per cent likelihood it would last into the Northern Hemisphere's early spring.

Across the contiguous United States, the effects of El Nino are likely to remain weak through the summer and become 'strong' in the late fall and winter, the CPC said.

El Nino, the warming of Pacific sea-surface temperatures, can have devastating consequences for agriculture.

It can trigger heavy rains and floods in South America and scorching weather in Asia and east Africa. But the weather pattern also increases rain in U.S. agricultural regions.

Purple shows an up to 76 inches in southern Louisiana, central Illinois, and a swath of Texas and Oklahoma that all saw severe flooding associated with heavy rainfall this spring and summer.

From the Rockies westward, rainfall has been much sparser over the last six months, meanwhile California and the southwest received little relief from their punishing drought.

The Pacific northwest has received below average rainfall and not enough snowfall which they, like California, rely on for part of their water supply.

Yesterday, a report from Nasa revealed that It would take an entire year's worth of rain to replenish California's drought-stricken soils, according to a new Nasa report.

The space agency used 17 years of satellite data and ground-based precipitation measurements to study average rain and snowfall totals.

It found California created a 20 inch (50.8 cm) 'rainfall debt' between 2012 and 2015 - equal to the amount expected to fall in the state in a single year.

The space agency used 17 years of satellite data and ground-based precipitation measurements to study average rain and snowfall totals.

It found California created a 20 inch (50.8 cm) 'rainfall debt' between 2012 and 2015 - equal to the amount expected to fall in the state in a single year.

The debt was driven mainly by a lack of air currents moving inland from the Pacific Ocean that are rich in water vapour, according to Nasa.

Some forecasters claim the strengthening El Nino system off the Southern California coast could bring on a more active rainy season during the fall and winter, relieving the state's drought.

But the latest Nasa study claimsEl Nino patterns only play a small part in controlling long term precipitation trends.

The GPM mission's Core Observatory satellite launched February 2014, and combines rainfall data from an international network of 12 satellites into images that show rain and snowfall across world every 30 minutes. Accumulated rain totals are shown in different colours: 0 to 1 inch is light blue, up to 12 inches is green, up to 20 inches is yellow, and up to 40 inches is red

Purple shows an up to 76 inches in southern Louisiana, central Illinois, and a swath of Texas and Oklahoma that all saw severe flooding associated with heavy rainfall this spring and summer

Pictured is the rainfall the US experienced on April 02 this year

It would take an entire year's worth of rain to replenish California's drought-stricken soils, according to a Nasa report. Pictured is California's precipitation 'deficit' from 2012 to 2014 shown as a per cent change from the 17-year average based on satellite observations