Climate change will make monsoon storms in South Asia wetter and weaker, with more storms pushing further inland across India.
Climate change will make monsoon storms in South Asia wetter and weaker, with more storms pushing further inland across India.
Scientists from the University of Reading used 13 climate models to understand how warming temperatures will affect monsoon low-pressure systems. These storms deliver more than half of all monsoon rainfall and nearly all extreme rainfall events across South Asia.
The research, published in the Journal of Climate, found that storms will become about 10% weaker by the time global temperatures rise 3°C above pre-industrial levels. Despite becoming weaker, each storm will produce more rain – up to 28% more for the strongest storms. By the time temperatures reach 2°C of warming, average rainfall from each storm will increase by roughly 10%.
Dr Kieran Hunt from the University of Reading and lead author, said: “How can weaker storms produce more rain? It sounds wrong, but the answer partly lies in changes to moisture patterns. Warming temperatures increase the difference in moisture levels between northern and southern India. Winds ahead of storms push this extra moisture into the rainfall zone, making storms wetter even though their winds are slower.”
Read More: University of Reading
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