From deluges to drought: Climate change speeds up water cycle, triggers more extreme weather

Around the globe, hotter temperatures stoked by climate change are increasing the odds of both severe drought and heavier precipitation that can wreak havoc on people and the environment. But how does global warming cause both drier and wetter extremes? Scientists say it’s all about the hydrological cycle — water constantly moving between Earth and the atmosphere. A hotter atmosphere sucks up more water vapor from bodies of water and vegetation and soil and holds it longer. Over land, that causes longer and more intense droughts. But when precipitation finally does fall, it’s often in intense and destructive deluges. Around the globe, hotter temperatures stoked by climate change are increasing the odds of both severe drought and heavier precipitation that can wreak havoc on people and the environment. But how does global warming cause both drier and wetter extremes? Scientists say it’s all about the hydrological cycle — water constantly moving between Earth and the atmosphere. A hotter atmosphere sucks up more water vapor from bodies of water and vegetation and soil and holds it longer. Over land, that causes longer and more intense droughts. But when precipitation finally does fall, it’s often in intense and destructive deluges.  AP Technology and Science