The role of ‘atmospheric rivers’ in UK winter floods

[knocker]

The role of ‘atmospheric rivers’ in UK winter floods

·                 Christoph arrived on the back of several high-profile storms within the past 12 months. Most notable were storms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge in February 2020, causing the UK’s wettest February on record. Thousands of homes were flooded across England and Wales, and the month was estimated to have cost the insurance industry more than £336m.

·                 A common factor between these events – along with many of the UK’s winter floods – is the arrival of an “atmospheric river”. These long, narrow plumes of warm and wet air can deliver a deluge of rainfall to countries in the mid-latitudes.

·                 This article unpacks how these atmospheric rivers form, what impact their rainfall can have, and how they may change as global temperatures rise.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-the-role-of-atmospheric-rivers-in-uk-winter-floods?utm_campaign=Carbon Brief Weekly Briefing&utm_content=20210129&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue newsletter

Edited January 29, 2021 by knocker