Warmer coastal waters push cyclone rainfall farther inland globally
A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University analyzed global data from 1980 to 2023 to find that tropical cyclone rainfall areas are extending inland.
Sea temperatures drive inland shift
Rising nearshore sea surface temperatures are driving this change in rainfall patterns. The study published in Nature Communications links warmer waters directly to the expansion of affected zones.
Rainfall extends two miles per decade
The team found the area impacted by heavy rain moves inland at an average rate of approximately 3.8 kilometers per decade. Heavy cyclone rainfall is defined in the study as at least 30 millimeters falling within three hours.
Disaster risks grow for inland areas
This shift increases disaster risks specifically for regions located away from the immediate coast. The analysis combined global data with numerical simulations to assess these long-term trends in cyclone behavior.
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