A new analysis finds that climate change fueled excessive rainfall in the U.K. and Ireland this fall and winter.
A new analysis finds that climate change fueled excessive rainfall in the U.K. and Ireland this fall and winter.
A particularly strong jet stream ushered Atlantic storms toward Europe, and warming ramped up the volume of rainfall they produced, according to an analysis from World Weather Attribution. The period from October to March was among the wettest ever recorded on the British Isles, scientists say.
Warmer air holds more water, leading to heavier downpours. The heavy rain seen during storms over the last several months was made 10 times more likely by climate change, according to the analysis. Stormy days yielded 20 percent more rainfall than they would have without warming.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
Image: Great Britain and Ireland. (Credit: NASA)
