"Human-caused climate change worsened recent torrential rains and floods that devastated parts of southern Africa, killing more than 100 people and displacing hundreds of thousands, researchers said Thursday. A study by the World Weather Attribution, which analyzed the recent heavy rainfalls that caused severe flooding in parts of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, showed that the region experienced a year's worth of rain in a period of 10 days."
"It resulted in widespread damage to housing and infrastructure estimated to run to millions of dollars, while humanitarian agencies say there is an escalating crisis for people displaced and facing hunger, disease outbreaks and a lack of health services because of the destruction. Many homes and buildings in Mozambique were completely submerged under water and dozens of hospitals and clinics were destroyed, while roads and bridges were swept away in the South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga and parts of Zimbabwe."
Human-caused climate change intensified torrential rains and floods in southern Africa, killing more than 100 people and displacing hundreds of thousands. The region received about a year’s worth of rain within ten days, an event with roughly a 1-in-50-year magnitude and a clear move toward more violent downpours. The current La Niña amplified naturally wetter conditions while operating within a much warmer atmosphere. Widespread housing and infrastructure damage runs into millions of dollars; many homes, hospitals and clinics were submerged or destroyed, and roads and bridges were swept away. Humanitarian needs include shelter, food, disease control and health services. Continued burning of fossil fuels increases extreme rainfall intensity, even if precise quantification remains difficult.
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