Contact:  Patricia Viets                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                        6/29/98

Information on Florida's unusual weather that set the stage for its raging forest fires has been placed on the World Wide Web by the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Web site, developed by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, was unveiled today by Vice President Al Gore, who is visiting fire sites in Florida. The Web site, titled "Florida Wild Fires and Climate Extremes," explains how Florida's unusual weather led to the fires.

The unusually wet mild winter in Florida promoted abundant growth in the underbrush. This weather was immediately followed by a severe drought during April, May and June, which rapidly dried out the dense underbrush. This combination wet and mild in the winter, dry and hot in the summer -- provided abundant fuel to the wildfires throughout Florida.

Details on recent abnormal weather, including temperature and precipitation as well as drought indices, are available on the Web site. Links to related Web sites, such as NOAA satellite imagery of the fires and the fire forecast, are provided.

The Web site can be reached at:

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/climate/research/1998/fla/florida.html