PARIS: The intensity of extreme water cycle events - especially drought and precipitation or flooding - correlates strongly with a continuing rise in global temperatures, according to a study published Monday .
"Warm air increases evaporation so that more water is lost during droughts, and warm air also holds and transports more moisture, increasing precipitation during wet events," co-author Matthew Rodell of NASA told AFP. The scientists were nonetheless surprised at how closely the pace of global warming tracked with the intensity of disruptions in the water cycle.
Earth's surface has warmed, on average, 1.2 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century, and - on current policies - is on track to heat up 2.8 degrees Celsius above that benchmark by 2100. About 70 percent of the events measured lasted six months or less, with an average duration of five to six months.