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Climate Change Making Rains Heavier

Residents recover belongs from their homes destroyed by mudslides.
Residents recover belongs from their homes destroyed by mudslides. Photo: Silvia Izquierdo (AP)

Extreme precipitation has become more common in our changing climate, since warmer air can hold more moisture. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s bombshell report last year found that, across the world, heavy rains have become 30% more frequent as the planet has warmed, and these storms hold on average 7% more water.