The death toll so far is 79, it will go up.
How Global Heating Causes Extreme Rain:
The Science Explained
1. The Basic Physics: More Heat, More Water
For every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold ~7% more water vapor—like a sponge expanding. This is a logarithmic relationship: small temperature increases lead to accelerating moisture capacity.
→ At 2°C warming, storms can dump 14% more rain in extreme events PIK Potsdam.
2. Why Rain Turns Extreme
Warmer air doesn't just hold moisture—it unleashes it violently:
Convective Storms: Hotter air fuels stronger updrafts, creating towering clouds that rain harder and faster.
Stalled Systems: Heat domes trap rain for days (e.g., 2021 European floods).
→ The heaviest 1% of rains now deliver 20% more water per degree Nature Study.
3. Worse Than Linear: Feedback Loops
Tropical Regions: Higher humidity = exponential rain risks (e.g., Pakistan's 2022 super floods).
Colder Areas: More snowfall from the same mechanism (Arctic warming).
→ Once-a-decade storms may occur 2.5x more often at 2°C NOAA.
Key Takeaway
Global heating doesn't just increase rain—it distorts how rain falls, making extremes more sudden and severe. Each degree matters.