Scientists warn climate change could unleash ‘rivers in the sky’
Source: https://www.euronews.com/
Author: Rosie Frost
An increase in global temperatures means more moisture in the air with atmospheric rivers becoming larger, more intense and carrying higher volumes of water. This phenomenon was thought to be responsible for the dramatic flooding seen in British Colombia, Canada last year. Weather conditions meant that tropical moisture slammed the region with some areas reporting their wettest day in history. Known as the ‘Pineapple Express,’ this particular river in the sky carries warm water vapour from Hawaii to the west coast of the US. “Our findings are likely also applicable to other regions of the mid-latitudes where interactions between atmospheric rivers and steep mountains play a major role in precipitation, such as in western North America and Europe,” says lead author Professor Yoichi Kamae.