Helene rainfall boosted by human-driven climate change, studies find
Two rapid-attribution studies released Tuesday found that human-caused global warming made Hurricane Helene stronger and wetter, elements that contributed to the storm's destructive power.
Two rapid-attribution studies released Tuesday found that human-caused global warming made Hurricane Helene stronger and wetter, elements that contributed to the storm's destructive power.
A report from ClimaMeter, a consortium that analyzes extreme weather events, found that Helene’s rainfall totals and winds were strengthened by human-driven climate change, with the rainfall up to 20% heavier and winds up to 7% stronger.
The consortium noted that elevated temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico — something climate scientists have been warning about for years — likely contributed to Helene's power.
"Although focused studies are needed to confirm this, it is likely that the unusually high heat content in the Gulf of Mexico has contributed to both [Helene's] rapid intensification and the exceptional atmospheric river that caused extreme floods over the South-Eastern US," the consortium said in its report.
A separate report from the Lawrence Berkeley Lab in California suggested that the influence of warming due to climate change created 50% more rain over parts of Georgia and the Carolinas than otherwise would have been expected.
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