Deadly rivers in the sky

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A Washington Post investigation has revealed how global warming has increased the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, fueling more intense and dangerous storms worldwide
• Using state-of-the-art climate models and weather data, the analysis shows that atmospheric water vapor has increased by 12% over the last 85 years
• This growing moisture has led to more extreme rainfall and devastating floods, as regions with higher moisture levels face escalating risks
• The surge in atmospheric moisture has been particularly pronounced in certain regions, such as parts of Spain, Southeast Asia, and the Arctic

🔭 The context: This increase in atmospheric water vapor, which holds 7% more moisture for every 1°C of warming, is amplifying rainfall events
• The investigation also highlights regions where moisture flows have intensified, increasing by up to 15% in some areas over the past 30 years
• A critical metric, integrated vapor transport (IVT), helps track the movement of moisture, and higher IVT indicates greater potential for extreme rain
• For example, regions like South Korea, where vapor flows have increased by 8.9%, are seeing rising risks of frequent, devastating rainfall events, like those that led to severe flooding in recent years

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The rising intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall linked to climate change are creating new, underappreciated climate threats for many communities
• The increased moisture in the atmosphere is exacerbating already-existing vulnerabilities, especially in densely populated and poorly prepared regions
• While extreme weather events are becoming more predictable, the lack of proper infrastructure, early warning systems, and community preparedness means that these storms are likely to cause even more destruction
• As climate change accelerates, adapting to these new realities becomes increasingly urgent

⏭️ What's next: Experts are urging governments and communities to prioritize resilience in the face of more frequent and intense storms
• This includes updating infrastructure to cope with more severe rainfall, improving emergency response systems, and making sure that people living in flood-prone areas are better prepared
• As atmospheric moisture continues to rise, regions that have seen an increase in peak moisture flow — such as South Korea, parts of Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean — must urgently plan for the kind of extreme rainfall that climate models predict will become more common

💬 One quote: “The floods of their future will not be like those of their past.” — Hannah Cloke, hydrologist at the University of Reading

📈 One stat: 12%: The increase in atmospheric water vapor over the past 85 years, which is equivalent to 35 Mississippi Rivers worth of water moving through the air every second

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