Intense Rainfall Could Raise Flood Risk
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Climate scientists have issued a fresh warning over the future risk of flooding after research showed heavy rainstorms are likely to become even more intense than predicted.
Rainfall is expected to increase with global warming because the atmosphere can hold more water as it heats up, but the extent to which rainfall patterns will change in the future has been unclear.
Researchers warn regions that are already vulnerable to flooding will be hit hardest by rainstorms in the future, and that previous predictions may have underestimated how intense these rainstorms will be.
Researchers from Reading and Miami Universities used satellite data from 1987 to 2004 to see how natural changes in surface and air temperatures caused by El Niño weather events influenced rainfall over the tropics. They found a clear link, with countries experiencing far more rainfall as temperatures rose.
If other researchers are able to confirm the findings, it suggests areas already prone to flooding may experience far more problems as global temperatures rise.
According to the report, the UK must prepare for a 4C rise in average temperatures, despite Europe’s declared goal of no more than a 2C rise.
