Climate change made Brazil floods more likely: experts

Reuters Videos
Updated

STORY: Scientists say climate change doubled the likelihood of the recent flooding in southern Brazil, with the El Nino phenomenon also intensifying the heavy rains.

Authorities called it the worst disaster in the region's history, after storms and floods hit the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul last month, killing more than 170 people and displacing nearly 580,000.

Experts from the World Weather Attribution group said the heavy rainfall in southern Brazil was an 'extremely rare' event and would have been even less likely without fossil fuel-driven climate change.

Lincoln Alves is with Brazil's National Institute for Space Research:

“These discoveries are coherent with what we have been observing, a weather with more heat.”

El Nino, which raises temperatures globally and increases rainfall and flood risk in parts of the Americas, also contributed to the recent disaster, by making it more likely and the rains more intense.

Regina Rodrigues is another member of the research team:

“So, this pattern is consistent with the typical El Nino influence over South America. However, these studies have shown that climate change will intensify this pattern. As a consequence, the high-pressure center over central Brazil is becoming larger and more persistent, pushing warmer air that holds more moisture for the south.”

Regina stressed the importance of maintaining flood infrastructure and urban planning to reduce the impact of 'such extreme events'.

The researchers say deforestation and Brazil's rapid urbanization were other factors, with both amplifying the impact of the floods.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • China calls on scientists of all nations to study lunar samples, but notes obstacle with the US

    China's space officials said Thursday they welcomed scientists from around the world to apply to study the lunar rock samples that the Chang'e 6 probe brought back to Earth in a historic mission, but noted there were limits to that cooperation, specifically with the United States. Officials said at a televised news conference in Beijing meant to introduce the mission's achievements that any cooperation with the U.S. would be hinged on removing an American law that bans direct bilateral cooperation with NASA. "The source of the obstacle in US-China aerospace cooperation is still in the Wolf Amendment,” said Bian Zhigang, vice chair of the China National Space Administration.

  • Trump Did Say 1 True Thing At The Presidential Debate

    The former president spoke about one simple, "immaculate" truth about his first term in the White House.

  • Beat them or eat them: What should we do about invasive species in the ocean?

    Should we beat them, or eat them? In this episode of Ocean Calls, we’re embarking on a journey to unravel the mysteries of invasive species in EU waters. They unsettle the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, so what can we do about them?

  • A weird sea creature was anatomically unlike anything ever seen — flipping it around led to a revelation

    Researchers have long puzzled over the peculiar innards of an ancient sea creature. A new study says scientists were looking at the Pikaia fossil the wrong way.

  • World's smallest elephant in danger of dying out

    Only an estimated 1,000 individuals remain in the wild but conservationists remain optimistic.

  • South African researchers test use of nuclear technology to curb rhino poaching

    Researchers in South Africa have injected radioactive material into the horns of 20 rhinos as part of a research project aimed at reducing poaching. The idea is that radiation detectors already in place at national borders would detect the horns and help authorities arrest poachers and traffickers. The research, which has included the participation of veterinarians and nuclear experts, begins with the animal being tranquilized before a hole is drilled into its horn and the nuclear material carefully inserted.

  • The world’s biggest capital cities are heating up – and Asia tops the charts

    The world’s largest capital cities are seeing more extremely hot days than ever, according to a new study, which says the dangerous trend is being driven by scorching temperatures across Asia as the climate crisis worsens.

  • Surprising asteroid sample reveals Bennu may have originated from an ocean world

    A sample from asteroid Bennu contains organic compounds usually found at midocean ridges on Earth, suggesting Bennu may have been part of an ancient ocean world.

  • Deaths mount as Pakistan swelters in heatwave

    Soaring temperatures in Pakistan have led more people to head to hospitals seeking help.

  • Why two NASA astronauts are stuck in space and how they might get down

    Two astronauts are stuck in space because Boeing's Starliner can't make the journey back to Earth. Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams blasted off on 5 June in Starliner's first mission to orbit carrying astronauts. After docking onto the International Space Station (ISS), the NASA astronauts were supposed to stay in orbit for eight days.

  • Bornean elephant assessed as endangered in new threatened species list

    An update to the IUCN Red List of threatened species also warns of a threat to lizards from invasive snakes and impacts of illegal cactus trade.

  • Garbage dumps may be ‘burping’ toxic ‘forever chemicals’: Study

    As many municipal landfills belch out gas from decomposing organic matter, they are also releasing toxic “forever chemicals” into the air, a new study has found. Scientists measured unexpectedly high levels of airborne per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at three dumps they surveyed — demonstrating the ability of these persistent contaminants to escape into the…

  • Last woolly mammoths were inbred, but that’s not why they became extinct

    The last woolly mammoths were inbred, scientists have discovered, but this is not the reason they became extinct.

  • Renewables surge: Green energy made up the majority of the EU’s electricity in 2023

    Wind and solar power increases combined with a sharp drop in fossil fuels pushed renewables into the lead.

  • Astronauts stuck aboard ISS as Starliner issues delay return

    STORY: Problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule have upended the original plans for the return of two astronauts to Earth, leaving them aboard the International Space Station as teams look at last-minute fixes. :: June 5, 2024Since its liftoff on June 5 the capsule has had five helium leaks, five maneuvering thrusters go dead and a propellant valve fail to close completely.The current problems center on Starliner’s expendable propulsion system, which is needed to back away from the ISS and position it to dive through Earth’s atmosphere. Starliner can stay docked at the ISS for up to 45 days, according to comments by NASA’s commercial crew manager Steve Stich. He said recent test-firings of the thrusters gave mission teams confidence in a safe return, though tests and reviews are ongoing. A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said internally, NASA’s latest targeted return date is July 6. That would mean the mission, originally planned for eight days, would instead last a month. Even with the propulsion issues NASA has said Starliner would still be capable of returning the astronauts to Earth if absolutely necessary – that is, if the capsule must serve as an escape pod.If Starliner is deemed incapable of safely returning Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, one option would be sending them home aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon.NASA and Boeing officials, as well as engineers familiar with the program, told Reuters nothing about Starliner’s current problems indicates that this would be needed.This is Starliner's first mission to orbit carrying astronauts - the final test needed before NASA can certify it as the U.S. space agency's second ride to the ISS.

  • 'Very worrisome': Canada's 2023 wildfires spewed four times the emissions that planes do in a year

    The devastating fires lasted for months and burned an area bigger than the size of Norway.

  • Astronauts Sheltered in Escape Vehicles as Debris Menaced Space Station

    Shelter in Place Astronauts on board the International Space Station were forced to shelter inside their respective spacecraft after reports indicated pieces of a broken-up satellite were headed their way. The remains of the derelict spacecraft called Resurs-P 1, a Russian commercial Earth observation satellite that launched in June 2013, were spotted by space junk […]

  • This mass bleaching event is the worst on record. Now scientists are hoping for hurricanes

    Unprecedented ocean heat has triggered the world’s worst mass coral bleaching event on record – an event so severe, reef experts are looking to hurricanes for relief.

  • Elon Musk’s SpaceX Wins $843M NASA Contract to Bring Down the International Space Station

    NASA has handed Elon Musk’s SpaceX an $843 million contract to make a vehicle that will bring the International Space Station out of orbit in a few years’ time when the trailblazing laboratory is retired.The space administration on Wednesday announced that the billionaire’s company has been chosen to “develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle,” the spacecraft which will guide the ISS on its fiery journey through the Earth’s atmosphere.The SpaceX vehicle will “provide the capability to deorbit

  • NASA Astronauts Again Postpone Return To Earth After Boeing Spacecraft Issues

    There's now no return date set for Boeing's Starliner transportation vessel, after it experienced issues with its thrusters and helium systems.