The world experienced some of the most extreme precipitation events on record in 2024. Many regions, especially dry areas and the Global South, faced severe monsoon rains and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones. This led to many deaths and economic losses.
Climate change has made extreme rainfall events more intense. For example, the rainfall event in Valencia, Spain, was 13% more intense due to warming. The year saw many compound events, where extreme rainfall followed droughts or back-to-back storms.
This caused flooding and other impacts like landslides. September 2024 had blocking events, influenced by a weakening El Niño and warmer ocean and air temperatures caused by human activities. These conditions led to more frequent and severe weather anomalies.
Data for these observations came from the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) dataset, provided by NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.
Extreme rainfall devastates vulnerable regions
This comprehensive data collection provides valuable insights into how climate change impacts global precipitation patterns.
Several studies from 2024 and earlier have shown that human activities are making short-duration rainfall extremes more intense. This trend poses increasing threats to vulnerable communities, particularly in regions like the UAE, Oman, and parts of Africa. In these areas, conflict, poverty, and water management issues make the impact of such weather events even worse.
The findings highlight the urgent need for better water management strategies and improved disaster preparedness. This can help reduce the impacts of extreme precipitation events driven by climate change. The authors of this information are Amy C.
Green, Hayley J. Fowler, Stephen Blenkinsop, and Paul A. Davies from Newcastle University, and the UK Meteorological Office.
Image Credits: Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
