Global warming increases the risk of flooding

Scientists have long warned that the global temperature increase leads to changes in precipitation patterns. The basis of the argument is simple: more power means more heat in the atmosphere and it is therefore more water vapor and more activity in the system.
Experts say it is difficult to predict exactly how rainfall will change in every corner of the world, but they know that, because of the greater amount of energy in the atmosphere will become more common extreme events such as storms, hurricanes and strong temporary and the Climate change and the global warming.

Indeed, two articles recently published in the journal Nature corroborate these predictions. The authors argue that human emissions of greenhouse gases have substantially increased the likelihood of heavy rainfall and flood risk.

Climate change and the global warming

Francis Zwiers and colleagues at the Division of Climate Research Division of Toronto (Canada), have managed actual rainfall data recorded over half a century in the Northern Hemisphere to conclude that torrential downpours have more than doubled.

The researchers used the records of rainfall made by 6,000 different meteorological stations between 1951 and 1999 across the northern hemisphere. The ground covered includes North America and much of Eurasia to India. Data came from maximum rainfall in a single day each year and also recorded the maximum rainfall for a period of five days each year that are, according to them, that best reflect what is a torrential downpour Climate change and the global warming.

Global Warming

After implementing new computer systems for calculating all these databases, the researchers found that violent rainfall events have increased by two-thirds of the northern hemisphere in recent decades. In particular, records of daily maximum has increased by 65% of the stations and the maximum of five days in 61% of them.