Alaska was slightly cooler and wetter than normal, while nearly two-thirds of Hawaii's island chain faced moderate to exceptional drought conditions by December, NOAA said.

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Data took primacy once again on Thursday, with the release of the August ISM manufacturing numbers coming in at 50.6, above expectations but slightly cooler than the 50.9 registered in July.

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With the track slightly cooler than during the morning's running, Vettel and Webber continued to lead the way, swapping fastest times before Vettel, on super soft tyres, set a target that his Australian team-mate, hampered by traffic, failed to match.

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