Climate change is contributing to the current extreme rainfall, so to speak. However, the cause probably lies in several factors, such as a combination of a certain meteorological weather situation with an influx of cold air and the extremely warm Mediterranean Sea. Sea.
The latter is partly due to global warming, explains Douglas Maraun, head of the regional climate research group at the Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change in Graz.
In general, a warmer climate leads to more extreme precipitation, because warm air can absorb considerably more moisture. “In the current case, this means that the weather situation that is now sweeping across Central Europe brings with it more moisture than fifty years ago. “But there are other factors at play at the moment,” says Maraun. In addition to the weather situation with an influx of cold air, the Mediterranean Sea is currently extremely warm, which means that considerably more moisture can evaporate.
Climate change takes full effect through cleaner air
According to the expert, the warming of the Mediterranean is partly due to climate change, but also to the significantly cleaner air above Europe. Due to stricter pollution regulations for shipping, less dirt is released into the air, which means less sunlight is scattered back into space. This becomes extra warm. “Until the mid-1970s, the trend of climate change was largely overshadowed by air pollution. Now it is really starting to take off, because the air above Europe is becoming increasingly cleaner,” says Maraun.
Mystery about the cause of heat waves
An open question in climate research is what has caused the heat waves of the past two or three years, which have led to warming of the oceans. “Some believe it is a direct result of climate change, others attribute it to air quality. Others see an increase due to random natural fluctuations,” he points out, pointing to the possible coincidence of several factors.
In general, the character of precipitation is strongly determined by natural fluctuations. “That means that we have decades in which, for example, there are more of these lows, and decades in which there are fewer. This is the basic tone of natural fluctuations in the climate system. And climate change is now making this even worse. The droughts are becoming considerably drier. The heavy rainfall is becoming increasingly intense,” says Maraun.
Heavy rainfall will increase
In the summer, the number of days with precipitation will likely decrease as the atmosphere stabilizes “and we are more exposed to the influence of high pressure. If we do get thunderstorms in the summer, they will be more intense.” However, climate change would likely shift the storm tracks further north, which in turn could lead to somewhat less weather like the current one. But that is not yet certain.
The fact that warmer air can hold more moisture and that heavy precipitation is expected to become more severe in many parts of the world is also clearly stated in the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Council is a UN body based in Geneva. For it, experts gather the scientific knowledge about climate change every five to seven years. But there is still surprisingly little research into weather situations like the current one, says Maraun.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
