Study: Climate Change-Warmed Ocean Fed Deadly Asia Floods

• A study links ocean warming from climate change to intense rainfall and deadly floods across Asia.
• Cyclones Senyar and Ditwah caused floods and landslides in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, killing over 1,600 people.
• Warmer sea surface temperatures in the North Indian Ocean, 0.2°C above average, fueled the cyclones by adding energy.
• Researchers state that without global warming, sea temperatures would have been 1°C colder, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, increasing rainfall.
• Rapid urbanization and high population density in flood plains amplified the human toll of these disasters.

Why It Matters: Climate change directly fueled deadly floods and landslides in Asia.