December 20, 2021
2 mins read

Warmer air, water worsen extreme weather in US

Much of the West’s water comes from atmospheric rivers, which are like fast-moving, airborne conveyor belts that shuttle moisture from the Pacific to the West Coast about a dozen times a year….reports Asian Lite News

 Increasing evidence has revealed that historic heat waves, monster rain events and ultra-intense storms were exacerbated by the warmer air and water of the overheating planet, particularly for the US this year, a media report said.

“The only two truisms when it comes to extremes in climate change are that almost everywhere: The hot hots are getting hotter and more frequent, and the wet wets are getting wetter and more frequent,” The Washington Post report quoted Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as saying.

Climate change has created conditions in which — even if the total amount of rain and snow is fairly stable from year to year — the West’s rainy season is shorter, and the moisture often falls in violent bursts rather than long, drought-squelching soaks, said Swain who specialises in the ties between climate change and weather, Xinhua news agency reported citing The Washington Post.

“It’s like the difference between sipping a cup of water vs. having it thrown at your mouth,” said the report. “For five days late in late January, California had water thrown at its mouth.”

Much of the West’s water comes from atmospheric rivers, which are like fast-moving, airborne conveyor belts that shuttle moisture from the Pacific to the West Coast about a dozen times a year. They are notoriously unpredictable and are often described as giant fire hoses in the sky, the report added.

“This particular atmospheric river blasted as much as 16 inches of rain and 100-mph winds through the middle of the state. Mudslides and floodwater covered major highways.

“The Big Sur River overtopped its banks. Debris flowed unchecked through areas recently scarred by wildfires,” it added.

Earlier this year, Texas froze and Seattle roasted. Parts of California flooded, burned, then flooded again. A hurricane that slammed Louisiana was so waterlogged that its remnants inundated New York City. A blizzard hit Hawaii.

“The weather was wilder than usual this year,” said the report.

“Vicious wind and tornadoes put a deadly exclamation point on the end of an extraordinary year for extreme weather in the US.”

ALSO READ: First Omicron death in Britain as variant spreads like wildfire

Previous Story

Israel bans travel to ten more countries over Omicron scare

Next Story

Musk to pay over $11 billion in taxes this year

Latest from USA

Trump Declares Trade War on Foreign Films

He accused other countries of offering all sorts of incentives and drawing filmmakers and studios away from the US….reports Asian Lite News US President Donald Trump on Monday (Indian time) announced a

Carney Confirms May 6 White House Visit

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Washington on May 6 for a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump, just days after taking office following a contentious federal election. Speaking

Rubio Backs AfD, Slams Berlin

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has strongly criticised Germany for officially classifying the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an extremist organisation, accusing the German government of undermining democracy under

Harris slams Trump’s first 100 days 

Harris encouraged supporters to remain engaged, saying Americans must act as the final check on the administration….reports Asian Lite News Former US Vice President Kamala Harris launched a blistering critique of President

China to evaluate offer of tariff talks  

Punishing US tariffs that have reached 145% on many Chinese products came into force in April while Beijing has responded with fresh 125% duties on imports from the US   China has
Go toTop

Don't Miss

‘US activist helped India get jabs’

President Biden listened carefully and responded most expressively to all

US mission in Moscow gets new address

The statement added that it had named a previously unnamed