A study conducted with the participation of scientists from institutions such as Imperial College London and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute found that the intensity of heavy rainfall has increased by 40% compared to pre-industrial levels. This is linked to rising ocean temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions, which are exacerbated by the current La Niña conditions.
The floods that began in December have severely affected Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini, where in some areas, rainfall exceeded the annual norm in a short period of time.
La Niña is a temporary cooling of the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean. The World Meteorological Organization reports a weak manifestation of this phenomenon but also warns that rising sea temperatures associated with climate change increase the risk of floods and droughts.
As noted by co-author of the study and senior climate researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Izidin Pinto, "climate change driven by human activity is leading to a significant increase in precipitation, which causes devastating damage to those in its path."
Furthermore, according to Bloomberg data, the La Niña phenomenon increased precipitation over 10 days by 22%, while global warming had about twice the impact.
The agency reports that approximately 300 people have died as a result of the flooding in southern Africa, and according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, heavy rains have affected around 800,000 people, mainly in Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Southern African Development Community reports that at least 1.3 million people have been affected, and 560,000 have been forced to leave their homes in the impacted regions.
