FLORIDA (KERO) — A new study claims that Hurricane Ian dropped 10 percent more rain than normal due to climate change.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, climate change can affect both the intensity and the frequency of rain. Warmer oceans increase the amount of water that evaporates, which can then produce more intense precipitation.
The study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab compared peak rainfall rates from the hurricane and 20 different computer scenarios. Researchers say for every extra degree of warmth, the air can hold seven percent more water.
The gulf of Mexico was reportedly eight-tenths of a degree warmer than normal. Officials say it may not sound like much, but adding two inches of rain to the 20 inches that fell can make a difference in the impact.
