Links

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/13/climate-change-means-hurricane-florence-will-dump-50-more-rain
Sept. 13, 2018
Hurricane Florence is set to bring 50% more rainfall to the US east coast due to human-induced climate change, according to a landmark forecast that has outlined the influence of warming temperatures upon the looming storm.
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.
“Dangerous climate change is here, it’s not a problem for future generations,” said Michael Wehner, staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. “These risks have been permanently increased and we have to accept that fact.”
“The idea we can’t attribute individual events to climate change is out of date, it’s just no longer true,” said Wehner. “We’ve reached the point where we can say this confidently.”
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.


https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/13/pollutionwatch-hazy-air-of-cities-reducing-solar-panel-efficiency
Sept. 13, 2018
even modern haze is still reducing sunlight in cities. Scientists find that in Delhi air pollution over the city is reducing the efficiency of solar panels by between 12% and 17%, depending on the type of photovoltaic technology. Losses are between 9% and 13% in Beijing, and around 2% in London and Los Angeles.
In the worst cities air pollution could affect the viability of solar energy. It also means money – Los Angeles’ expanding solar electricity sector could be losing about $6m to $9m a year by 2020.


https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/sep/12/warming-oceans-are-changing-the-worlds-rainfall
Sept. 12, 2018
Scientists found that the rain in the Amazon tropical rainforest has increased 180–600 mm (7–24 inches). They learned about the increase in wet-season rainfall by reviewing old weather data – information from rain gauges for example. They also used satellite measurements to complement the rain gauge readings. The trend they found was clear – the rains are increasing.
So, any good scientist wants to know why. Why are the rains increasing? What is the main cause? By using the results of state-of-the-art climate calculations, the authors showed that the temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are primarily responsible. The Pacific Ocean water temperature plays a smaller role.