Widespread deficits may continue in North China including the North China Plain and in Mongolia, though some areas may experience both deficits and surpluses. Widespread surpluses are forecast for Southeast China and southern Honshu, Japan. Deficits are forecast for northern Honshu and for Hokkaido, Japan. Exceptional deficits may persist in South Korea before diminishing somewhat in severity beginning in February 2016. The 12-month map below is based on observed data through August and forecasts issued the last week of August, 2015.

In Japan, 3 million people were advised to evacuate after heavy flooding killed 7 and released contaminated water from a shuttered nuclear power plant. The drought in northern China sparked a protest by 200 ethnic Mongolian herders demanding government relief in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

In South Korea the drought has been persistent, exceptional, and widespread as seen in the 24- and 36-months maps below based on observed data through August 2015. Earlier this year the planting season was delayed in key crop regions and boats were stranded on dried-up lakes. Though the drought has been ongoing in North Korea as well forecasts indicate that it will persist in South Korea.