A study conducted by a group of scientists, including representatives from Imperial College London and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, claims that the intensity of rainfall has increased by 40% compared to pre-industrial levels. This increase is linked to rising ocean temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions and is exacerbated by the current La Niña conditions.
The floods that began in December have caused significant damage to countries such as Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini. In several regions, rainfall exceeding the annual norm was recorded within a few days, as noted in the report.
La Niña is a phenomenon characterized by temporary cooling in the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean. The World Meteorological Organization predicts that this phenomenon will be weak, but emphasizes that climate change related to rising sea temperatures increases the risk of both flooding and droughts.
As noted by Izidin Pinto, one of the authors of the study and a senior researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, “human activity significantly increases precipitation, leading to devastating consequences for the population.”
According to Bloomberg, the La Niña phenomenon increased rainfall by 22% over 10 days, while global warming has had more than a twofold impact on the intensity of rainfall.
It is reported that approximately 300 people have died as a result of the floods in southern Africa, and according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, about 800,000 people have been affected by heavy rains, primarily in Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. According to the Southern African Development Community, at least 1.3 million people have been affected, and 560,000 have been forced to leave their homes in the affected regions.
