Crops · dekad 2026-07-21

Papua New Guinea

2 of 17 crop regions in Papua New Guinea are at their worst on record for this point in the season. Its highest in any previous year was 3, on a recent average of 1.17.

How bad is it, against this country’s own record

Five instruments read together our combination, not an observation

worst on record of 26 years at this point in the season

The most stressed of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026, across 5 instruments read together

202620012026

What the instruments say

The canopy is in its worst third, as are water satisfaction and rainfall.

Each track is that instrument’s own 26 years, worst on the left.

Vegetation, cumulative-0.452nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.61lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction94%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.32lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature20.2 °C22nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Five instruments, each against its own 26 years for this point in the season. They are shown together because they disagree: across the regions on this site, roughly a quarter have vegetation at a record low while water or rainfall sits in its best third. This page reports where each one sits and does not say what caused what.

Every region of Papua New Guinea, worst to least

Each bar is the full spread of that region’s previous 25 years at this point in the season. The dot is this year. A dot at the left of a wide bar and a dot at the left of a narrow bar are different findings, which is why the history is drawn rather than described.

its normalworsebetterWesternNew IrelandNorth SolomonsEast HighlandsCentralWest New BritainW. HighlandsGulfEast New BritainMilne BayWest SepikSouth HighlandsMadangEngaMorobeChimbuEast Sepik

Regions in colour are at their worst on record. The rest are placed on the same scale so a single deep region inside an otherwise ordinary country reads differently from a country where the whole distribution has moved.

Western

-1.84 lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.964th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction92%2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.83lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature14.8 °C26th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

New Ireland

-1.59 2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-1.322nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction98%7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.835th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature25.2 °C12th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

North Solomons

-1.26 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-2.002nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction96%13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.836th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature23.6 °C23rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

East Highlands

-1.19 lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.773rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction90%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.264th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature16.1 °C26th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Central

-0.97 2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, current-2.04lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction70%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.722nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature24.0 °C22nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

West New Britain

-0.95 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.0211th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction91%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.692nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature24.6 °C20th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

W. Highlands

-0.63 5th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-1.75lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction97%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.284th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature15.8 °C26th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Gulf

-0.58 8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-1.753rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction99%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-2.19lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature21.3 °C21st highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

East New Britain

-0.47 4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.1215th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction97%4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.937th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature23.5 °C23rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Milne Bay

-0.41 4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, current-1.682nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction86%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.93lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature24.7 °C26th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

West Sepik

-0.24 9th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.2019th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction98%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.675th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature20.1 °C16th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

South Highlands

+0.12 15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.1511th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction99%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.612nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature15.4 °C26th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Madang

+0.13 15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.356th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction97%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.996th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature21.9 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Enga

+0.34 18th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+1.3826th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction98%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.828th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature12.3 °C11th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Morobe

+0.36 18th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.713rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction93%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.494th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature23.8 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Chimbu

+0.69 18th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.3714th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction99%2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.114th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature13.7 °C26th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

East Sepik

+0.87 26th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+1.0926th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction91%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.272nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature23.0 °C7th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

This measurement is of the crop canopy and not of what stressed it: heat, drought, disease and late planting are not separable here, which is why no claim on this page names a cause.

Kristjan Lepik (2026). The Long Swell, Crops. thelongswell.com