Extreme rainfall events are connected around the world

Science Daily  January 30, 2019
An international team of researchers (UK, Germany, Russia) developed a new method rooted in complex system theory to study high-resolution satellite data of rainfall. By breaking the globe into a grid, the team could see where events occurred and determine how ‘synchronous’ they were. The results from this ‘complex network’ model, analysed using their understanding of the motion of the atmosphere, revealed a possible mechanism for how the events were connected. The research could help better predict when and where extreme rainfall events will occur around the world. The insights can be used to test and improve global climate models, leading to better predictions. Study provides a ‘baseline’ for climate change studies…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE 

The blue shapes over Europe indicate that extreme rainfall in Northern India can be predicted from preceding events in Europe. Credit: Boers et al. 2019