Precipitations Increasingly Abundant Due to Climate Warming

Nature seems to have lost its compass in recent years. Experts argue that it's not a matter of nature being disoriented, but rather adjustments and adaptations to a crisis situation, a kind of response to human pollution. What is certain is that humanity is increasingly facing moments of extreme weather. Episodes of exceptionally abundant rainfall, which can cause catastrophic floods, are becoming more frequent and intense with the warming of the planet-more than previously anticipated, according to a study reported by AFP.

To anticipate the consequences of climate change, scientists use climate models. However, according to this new research, they have underestimated the increase in precipitation amounts. This work suggests that such consequences "could be much more severe than we thought," as stated by Anders Levermann from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the leader of the study, quoted in a press release. "Extreme rains will be more abundant and more frequent. Society needs to prepare for this," he added.

The most significant increases in precipitation will occur in tropical regions and high latitudes, such as Southeast Asia and northern Canada, according to the study. The phenomenon is related to warm air that can contain more water vapor. Floods are particularly costly disasters that lead to loss of human lives and significant economic damage.

This warning was published in the Journal of Climate just a few days before the opening of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) on climate change, held under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.

For this study, researchers compared simulations from numerous climate models with historically observed changes. They used techniques that allowed them to filter changes associated with human greenhouse gas emissions. "Our study confirms that the intensity and frequency of heavy rains increase exponentially with each global warming," said Max Kotz, the study's lead author. The rise in temperatures is the factor that most affects these changes, and not other factors such as wind, as demonstrated by these analyses, according to the authors.