The United States is the anomaly. Global weather has reduced wheat production in Canada, Russia, the Ukraine, the European Union and Kazakhstan. Similarly, the global supply of cotton, oilseeds and coarse grains (corn, rye and barley) is down. Meanwhile, America's Midwest breadbasket is enjoying some of the most massive bumper crops in years.

To make this anomaly even more surprising, This was a La Niña summer, which typically means hot weather and drought. As anybody living east of the Rocky Mountains knows, we have been experiencing the heat. But unlike most La Niña years, we have had rain - lots of healthy rainfall. For people, this has frequently led to steamy misery, but crops thrived.

Typically during a moderate-sized La Niña cool waters flow along the West Coast. Temperatures plunge along the coast and precipitation drops further inland. Further east, trade winds become stronger, blowing directly into Mexico and sending less Gulf moisture into the US. Temperatures rise and the Plains become parched.

The reason that this La Niña has not been dry is because we are feeling the impact of the volcanic activity in the Northwest Pacific. Last year two huge eruptions, Mt. Redoubt in Alaska and Sarychev Peak in Russia put huge amounts of ash and chemicals into the stratosphere. This year there has been a small-to-medium sized eruption on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula almost every week. According to the latest report from Tokyo's Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (which warns airplanes of possible engine-damaging clouds of ash) Russia's Mt. Sheveluch had eruptions that produced plumes that rose to altitudes of 6.4-8.5 km. (4.0 - 5.3 miles), high enough to enter the stratosphere. This means the ash can linger in the upper atmosphere for months and years.

And what about winter?

Don't expect this heat to last. Once again the Northern Hemisphere faces a very cold winter due to volcanic ash.

David Fuller's view Evelyn Browning Garriss describes the combination of factors which have played havoc with weather conditions over the last few months, reducing crops at a time of rising global demand.