Climate change worsened rains and floods in southern Africa

Researchers say human-caused climate change increased the intensity of recent torrential rains across parts of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, which led to more than 100 deaths and displaced over 300,000 people.

Researchers say recent torrential rains caused severe flooding across parts of southern Africa. The event affected South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and led to deaths and large displacement. A World Weather Attribution study found the region received about a year's worth of rain in roughly ten days. Scientists reported that human-caused climate change increased the intensity of the downpours and that La Niña also contributed to wetter conditions. Key findings: - A peer-reviewed analysis by World Weather Attribution linked human-caused climate change to a notable increase in the intensity of the rains, and authors said a roughly 40% rise in intensity would be hard to explain without human influence. - The storms delivered about a year’s typical rainfall within ten days, and the events were reported to have killed over 100 people and displaced more than 300,000 across the three countries. - Researchers noted La Niña brought naturally wetter conditions that occurred within a warmer atmosphere, and several scientists called for the development of climate models within Africa to better understand regional impacts. Summary: Researchers reported that intensified rainfall led to loss of life and widespread displacement in the affected countries. They recommended building regional climate modeling capacity in Africa to improve understanding of similar future events; steps to implement that recommendation are undetermined at this time.