USA: Climate change means Hurricane Florence will dump 50% more rain

By Oliver Milman

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An attribution study by scientists ahead of Florence’s landfall, expected in North Carolina on Thursday, found that the storm will be about 50 miles (80km) larger in diameter than it would be if human activity had not warmed the planet.

The hurricane is expected to bring about 50% more precipitation, delivering as much as 20in (51cm) of rainfall in coastal areas, due to climate change. The forecast was completed by researchers at Stony Brook University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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Climate change fuels hurricanes by increasing the amount of moisture in the atmosphere and heightening the warmth of the oceans. Several storms that form in the Atlantic have intensified to unusual strength in recent years, as part of a trend that scientists say is consistent with a warming world.

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