How hilary turned into a monster storm

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🗞️ Driving the news: Tropical storm Hilary unleashed unparalleled rainfall on regions such as Mexico, Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada, shattering numerous daily rainfall records
• Its aftermath left widespread flooding, debris flows, and significant damage to infrastructure and property, trapping residents in areas like Palm Springs

🔭 The context: Hilary, which originated as a hurricane in the eastern Pacific, derived its power primarily from the warm ocean waters
• Warm, moist air intensifies and elevates the storm's potential, as elaborated by climate scientist Karthik Balaguru from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• The development of El Niño, leading to warmer waters in the eastern Pacific, has further boosted Hilary's intensity

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: Hilary's trajectory and the damage it caused is a sign of changing weather patterns influenced by global warming
• While such occurrences are rare, they can become more frequent and destructive in a warming climate

⏭️ What's next: Determining the role of climate change in such specific weather events can be intricate 
• Research indicates that while hurricane frequencies might decrease, their intensity and destruction could magnify

💬 One quote: “For the storm to retain its structure all the way up to California, I think that is extremely rare. For that to happen, the storm has to be quite intense.” (Karthik Balaguru, climate scientist)

📈 One stat: Mount San Jacinto, near Palm Springs, recorded almost a foot of rainfall within two days due to Hilary

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