We find that the risk of major rainfall disruptions has already increased, and that the risk will remain elevated for the remainder of the 21st century, even if marked and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions are made.
A useful and important indicator of rainfall variability and disruption in the Pacific is the amount of rainfall received in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific5,14.
Locations like these with a highly seasonal climate could be most sensitive to a change in the seasonality of rainfall or a disruption in precipitation patterns during the rainy season.
First, the risk of major disruption to rainfall patterns and rainfall intensity had already increased by the end of the 20th century (see for example L20C in Fig. 2a or Supplementary Tables 2 and 3).
"Impacts include the potential for further damage to the ozone layer, and disruption of rainfall, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions – potentially threatening the food supplies of billions of people," said Pat Mooney, executive director of the Canadian-based technology watchdog ETC Group.
In other nations, disruptions in rainfall or other temperature-driven phenomena could contribute to dangerous instability due to crop failures or other phenomena.
Intermittent disruptions to rainfall patterns and intensity over the Pacific Ocean lasting up to ∼ 1 year have major impacts on severe weather, agricultural production, ecosystems, and disease within the Pacific, and in many countries beyond.
This contrasts with a previous study that used a proxy measure of disruption based on rainfall amount at a single location14.
The global treaty that headed off destruction of earth's protective ozone layer has also prevented major disruption of global rainfall patterns, even though that was not a motivation for the treaty, according to a new study in the Journal of Climate.
Gales and rainfall have continued to cause disruption to parts of Kent.
