This extra moisture is available to storm systems, resulting in heavier rainfalls. Global analyses show that the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere has in fact increased due to human-caused warming. Warmer air can contain more water vapor than cooler air. The mechanism driving these changes is well understood. (Figure source: adapted from Kunkel et al. Changes are compared to the period 1901-1960, and do not include Alaska or Hawai‘i. As this extreme precipitation index for 1901-2012 shows, the occurrence of such events has become much more common in recent decades. English: One measure of heavy precipitation events is a two-day precipitation total that is exceeded on average only once in a 5-year period, also known as the once-in-five-year event.
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