Flooded Midwest crops get break from recent rains

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Midwest is getting a much-needed break from a week of heavy rains that resulted in extensive flood damage to crops, railways and businesses, a forecaster said Tuesday.

"At this point we don't have any excessive rains in the forecast. These intense rains that have created the heavy flooding are over for the time being," said Mike Palmerino, forecaster with DTN Meteorlogix.

But that does not mean the Midwest is turning drier, because showers will return by Thursday, he added.

The Midwest was dry on Monday and expected to stay clear through Wednesday. But it will turn wet by Thursday with scattered showers of 0.25 to 1.0 inch, locally heavier, forecast for the eastern and western Corn Belt.

Episodes of scattered showers should continue Friday to Sunday for the western Midwest. The eastern belt will see scattered light showers on Saturday and heavier rains of 0.25 to 1.0 inch, locally heavier, Sunday to Monday.

Top U.S. crop state Iowa was suffering from heavy flooding. And worries mounted after a levee on the Mississippi River near Burlington, Iowa, broke and flooded nearby farmland.

The Iowa State crop report said on Monday that 9 percent of the state's corn acres were flooded and 8 percent have been or will need to be replanted. Additionally, 8 percent of its soybean acres were flooded, with 9 percent of the crop replanted or to be replanted.

The flooded acreage total in Iowa equates to 1.19 million corn acres and 784,000 soybean acres based on USDA's March planting intentions report.

Temperatures will be normal to below normal for the next seven days, with highs in the mid 70s to mid 80s degrees Fahrenheit.

The Meteorlogix six- to 10-day Midwest outlook, Saturday to Thursday, called for normal to above-normal temperatures in the west and near to below-normal temps in the east.

Rainfall will be near to above normal.

(Reporting by Christine Stebbins; Editing by John Picinich)