Mediterranean-type climates face immediate drops in rainfall when greenhouse gases rise, but this could be stopped quickly if emissions are cut.
This is the finding of new research published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which adds to the list of known benefits of rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions to keep global heating below 1.5°C.
Decreases in rainfall can impact the water resources of Mediterranean climates, which rely on winter rainfall to supply them through hot, dry summers.
The study, led by the University of Reading in collaboration with the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISAC, Bologna) and Imperial College London, reveals new ways in which climate change affects regions characterised by such climates, such as California, central Chile, and the Mediterranean region itself.
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