全球变暖加剧中国极端降雨现象
In early June, China's meteorological authority raised its highest warning flag—a red alert—as torrential downpours swept across vast swathes of the country, triggering floods and landslides. Since May, five rounds of heavy rainfall have battered regions from Chongqing to Guangdong, forcing thousands to evacuate and disrupting transportation. While such weather is typical during East Asia's monsoon season, the intensity and persistence have prompted an urgent question: Is climate change making these deluges worse?
The physical science provides a clear connection. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture—about 7% more for every degree Celsius of warming, according to the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. This means that when storms occur, they have the potential to unleash heavier bursts of rain. Global average temperatures have already risen by about 1.2°C since pre-industrial times, and because of this, heavy precipitation events have become more frequent and intense across many parts of the world, including East Asia. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded with high confidence that human-induced climate change is contributing to increased extreme precipitation in the region.
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