While we have relatively high confidence for temperature extremes and some confidence
in precipitation extremes, as yet we can say relatively little about storms, droughts and floods.
Warming is linked to increases
in precipitation extremes partly because of the physical effect of warming on atmospheric conditions.
So: The study finds a fingerprint of anthropogenic influences on large scale increase
in precipitation extremes, with remaining uncertainties — namely that there is still a possibility that the widespread increase in heavy precipitation could be due to an unusual event of natural variability.The intensification of extreme rainfall is expected with warming, and there is a clear physical mechanism for it, but it is never possible to completely separate a signal of external forcing from climate variability — the separation will always be statistical in nature.
Not exact matches
«We do see signs of
precipitation extremes increasing
in these regions.»
«We know that
in particular that [the regions around] Houston, Louisiana, and Florida are prone to some of the most
extreme precipitation events
in the United States,» said Sarah Kapnick, a researcher at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.
They're intense plumes of water vapor that cause
extreme precipitation, plumes so large they resemble rivers
in satellite pictures.
Climatic variability like
precipitation changes or increase
in extreme events such as storms and tropical cyclones is known to significantly modify the Earth's surface.
It also has seen a 71 percent increase
in the frequency of
extreme precipitation events — more than any other region
in the United States, according to the paper.
For instance, though about 30 percent of farmers surveyed agreed that
extreme weather events will become more frequent
in the future, 52 percent agreed that farmers should take additional steps to protect their land from increased
precipitation.
«Of course, weather is naturally chaotic, and
extremes are a normal part of our highly variable UK climate, but globally there has recently been an increase
in the incidence of high temperature and heavy
precipitation extremes.
Attributable human - induced changes
in the likelihood and magnitude of the observed
extreme precipitation during Hurricane Harvey.
These findings from University of Melbourne Scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, reported
in Nature Climate Change, are the result of research looking at how Australian
extremes in heat, drought,
precipitation and ocean warming will change
in a world 1.5 °C and 2 °C warmer than pre-industrial conditions.
«If we look at
precipitation events over the long term, there is an increase
in frequency of
extremes.
The scientists were able to look at
precipitation observations from 1951 to 2011 and document these changes
in extremes in the period from 1981 to 2011.
Extremely heavy
precipitation was projected to become even more
extreme in a warmer world.
The case illustrates the challenges involved
in attributing
precipitation extremes and storms, which are caused by multiple factors, Hoerling said.
They were
in less agreement about how intense rain or snow will be when it does fall, although there is general consensus among models that the most
extreme precipitation will become more frequent.
Our study shows is that increases
in the number of
extreme heat and
extreme precipitation events, particularly during summer months, lead to more asthma hospitalizations
in Maryland.»
Still, he says, «One of the clearest signals we see is that an increase
in global temperatures leads to an increase
in extreme or heavy
precipitation events.»
«It is therefore reasonable to expect that
precipitation extremes will continue to intensify,» although how much is still a mystery, largely thanks to an unclear understanding of the atmospheric impact of how tiny flecks of pollution
in the atmosphere — known as aerosols to scientists and comprising materials ranging from soot to sulfur dioxide.
«Observing rainfall
in an El Niño year is especially interesting because the prevailing
precipitation patterns change, often
in extreme ways.
What goes up, must come down and, more and more, that water vapor is coming down
in extreme precipitation events — defined
in North America as more than 100 millimeters of rainfall (or the equivalent
in snow or freezing rain) falling
in 24 hours — according to new research also published February 17
in Nature that examines such events
in the Northern Hemisphere.
Although the rising average global surface temperature is an indicator of the degree of disruption that we have imposed on the global climate system, what's actually happening involves changes
in circulation patterns, changes
in precipitation patterns, and changes
in extremes.
Climate scientists know that the intensity of
extreme precipitation events is on the rise because there's more water vapor
in the atmosphere caused by higher global and sea temperatures.
While the models do not reliably track individual
extreme weather events, they do reproduce the jet stream patterns and temperature scenarios that
in the real world lead to torrential rain for days, weeks of broiling sun and absence of
precipitation.
Expected increases
in extreme heat and drought events will bring changes
in precipitation, air and water temperatures, air density and humidity, write Matthew Bartos and Mikhail Chester
in the current issue of the research journal Nature Climate Change.
«This increase
in water vapor has contributed to increasing total
precipitation in the fall season, but does not necessarily mean an increase
in extreme precipitation events,» she added.
Computer models showed a reduction
in what Edwards called «
extreme precipitation events»
in the fall season
in western South Dakota when compared to climate conditions
in the 1800s.
Air and water temperatures,
precipitation patterns,
extreme rainfall events, and seasonal variations are all known to affect disease transmission.59, 199,86
In the United States, children and the elderly are most vulnerable to serious outcomes, and those exposed to inadequately or untreated groundwater will be among those most affected.
Key weather and climate drivers of health impacts include increasingly frequent, intense, and longer - lasting
extreme heat, which worsens drought, wildfire, and air pollution risks; increasingly frequent
extreme precipitation, intense storms, and changes
in precipitation patterns that lead to drought and ecosystem changes (Ch.
But beyond the increased amount of
precipitation, Wehner adds, «this study more generally increases our understanding of how the various processes
in extreme storms can change as the overall climate warms.»
In addition to accounting for drought and hurricane winds, the index considers temperature and precipitation extremes in the U.S
In addition to accounting for drought and hurricane winds, the index considers temperature and
precipitation extremes in the U.S
in the U.S..
The same goes for nearly 1
in 5 exceptionally heavy rainfalls and other bouts of
extreme precipitation.
As the 2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report notes, models predict that increasing temperature ought to cause greater
precipitation extremes in both directions — both drought and flooding, though there are likely more areas of heavy
precipitation.
Nationally, the components that measure
extremes in warm maximum and minimum temperature and one - day
precipitation totals were much above average.
The coverage of
extreme precipitation totals and warm temperatures contributed to the fourth highest U.S. Climate
Extremes Index
in the 106 - year record for the CONUS.
Daniel Swain and colleagues model how the frequency of these rapid, year - to - year transitions from
extreme dry to wet conditions — which they dub «
precipitation whiplash events» — may change
in California's future as a consequence of man - made warming.
Researchers charge global warming with projected significant increases
in the frequency of both
extreme precipitation and landfalling atmospheric rivers
Staying on the Southern Hemisphere, a research team led by Sue Rosier, looked at
extreme precipitation over the North Island of New Zealand that led to severe flooding
in July 2014.
Another aspect of this phenomenon is that
in a warmer, wetter world a larger proportion of the
precipitation falls
in extreme events.
-- Along with analyzing historical trends
in temperature and
precipitation, we performed an analysis of changes
in extreme climate events since the middle of last century.
Warm oceans produced extensive evaporation and
precipitation, which on the cold continents resulted
in extreme snowfall rates that built up glaciers.
Climate model projections show a warmer Montana
in the future, with mixed changes
in precipitation, more
extreme events, and mixed certainty on upcoming drought.
Kharin, V.V., F.W. Zwiers, and X. Zhang, 2005: Intercomparison of near surface temperature and
precipitation extremes in AMIP - 2 simulations, reanalyses and observations.
This is addressed by evaluating change
in global or large - scale patterns
in the frequency or intensity of
extremes (e.g., observed widespread intensification of
precipitation extremes attributed to human influence, increase
in frequency and intensity of hot
extremes) and by event attribution methods.
Her work focuses on the causes of change
in mean and
extreme temperature and
precipitation.
Using high - resolution modeling with theoretical and statistical analysis, researchers revealed a direct link between
in - cloud processes and the frequency of
precipitation extremes.
In the second real - time extreme weather attribution study in the context of the World Weather Attribution project the team found a 5 - 80 % increase in the likelihood of heavy precipitation like those associated with storm Desmond to occur due to anthropogenic climate chang
In the second real - time
extreme weather attribution study
in the context of the World Weather Attribution project the team found a 5 - 80 % increase in the likelihood of heavy precipitation like those associated with storm Desmond to occur due to anthropogenic climate chang
in the context of the World Weather Attribution project the team found a 5 - 80 % increase
in the likelihood of heavy precipitation like those associated with storm Desmond to occur due to anthropogenic climate chang
in the likelihood of heavy
precipitation like those associated with storm Desmond to occur due to anthropogenic climate change.
It gives a big uncertainty
in projections going further forward
in time because we don't understand the way they work, and it also gives big uncertainty to things like
extreme precipitation — so that we don't understand rainfall
extremes that well.
«We show that at the present - day warming of 0.85 °C about 18 % of the moderate daily
precipitation extremes over land are attributable to the observed temperature increase since pre-industrial times, which
in turn primarily results from human influence,» the research team said.