Climate Cast: Heavy rainfall a sign of a changing climate
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
A warming climate doesn't just mean higher temperatures. A warmer climate holds more water vapor and that wetter atmosphere produces heavier rainfall.
"Rainfall is going to occur, and it already is occurring in heavier down bursts," said John Abraham of the University of St. Thomas.
Abraham joined MPR's chief meteorologist Paul Huttner to talk about this phenomenon and its implications.
The atmosphere is now able to hold more moisture than before.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
"There's a lot more energy in the atmosphere because of global warming," said Abraham.
It's called latent heat, and it's caused by evaporation. Higher temperatures means more evaporation which fuels this cycle.
Latent heat is adding to the energy of storms which will only get worse as the temperature of the atmosphere increases.
Abraham wrote about this link between heat and rain in the Guardian.
To hear the entire discussion use the audio player above.
