More extreme rain predicted for warming U.S.

Lightning over Las Cruces, New Mexico (Credit: Edward Aspera Jr./U.S. Air Force, via Wikimedia Commons)

As greenhouse gas emissions spur a continued rise in temperature averages, scientists say that rains will become more intense and frequent, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In the United States, the number of days of extreme rainfall is predicted to increase by two annually in some areas. And the periods may be wetter – over the past century, there’s been an average rise of 20 percent in the amount of rain falling in the heaviest downpours.

Much of the findings are reported in the 2009 National Climate Assessment, which is set to be updated in spring 2014. Scientists say some of the heavy precipitation they predict is already being seen.

Image: Lightning over Las Cruces, New Mexico (Credit: Edward Aspera Jr./U.S. Air Force, via Wikimedia Commons)