OSLO: Torrential rains have become more frequent worldwide since 1980, with Southeast Asia getting the biggest increase in downpours, a scientific study has said.

The report adds to evidence that rising man-made greenhouse gas emissions are stoking extremes from heatwaves to precipitation. Warmer air absorbs more moisture, which then can be dumped in downpours.

“We find a clear overall upward trend for these unprecedented hazards,” lead author Jascha Lehmann of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said in a statement.

Overall, there were 12 per cent more downpours which broke local records from 1981 to 2010 than would be expected in an unchanged climate, according to an analysis of rainfall statistics from thousands of weather stations since 1900.

Southeast Asia had the biggest increase with 56 per cent, while Europe saw a 31 per cent rise.

The study said 2010 was the year with most records broken, from Texas to Pakistan. Flooding in Pakistan was the worst in its history, killing more than 2,000 people and affecting 18 million.

The findings may help guide investment in flood prevention, from reinforcing riverbanks to building storm drains in cities.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2015

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