Australian study challenges climate change assumptions

Australian researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have challenged previous assumptions made about climate change.

A research published in the journal Nature Climate Change, discovered that global warming increases rain in some of the world's driest areas.

Researchers found a strong relationship between global warming and an increase in rainfall, particularly in areas outside of the tropics, said UNSW's Dr. Markus Donat.

"Within the tropics we saw an increase in rainfall responding to global warming but the actual rate of this increase was less clear," Donat said.

"The concern with an increased frequency and in particular intensity of extreme precipitation events in areas that are normally dry is that there may not be infrastructure in place to cope with extreme flooding events," he added.

Researchers also noted that increased rainfall over dry areas will not directly increase water availability, as additional heat caused by global warming will likely lead to increased evaporation.

The world's driest areas will see more rain and more flash floods as a result of global warming, according to observations and climate models. Endit