JERUSALEM, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Israel and Germany have found that some heavy rainstorms are related to concentrated streams of water vapor, making them easier to predict, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement on Monday.
In the study, published in Weather and Climate Extremes, the team found that intense downpours, especially those linked to "atmospheric rivers," follow clear and organized weather patterns.
Atmospheric rivers, often termed "rivers in the sky," are long, narrow bands of moisture that carry large amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere. When combined with strong wind systems, they can produce heavy rainfall.
The study showed that storms involving these systems bring about 36 percent more rain on average, not because of greater overall moisture, but because winds deliver it more efficiently.
The scientists focused on extreme rain events in the western Iberian Peninsula, where flooding poses risks to infrastructure and public safety.
They discovered that the most severe storms are often tied to powerful, well-structured cyclones over the North Atlantic. These systems create clearer signals in the atmosphere, making them easier to forecast.
Surprisingly, the most dangerous storms produced rainfall up to 80 percent stronger than that of less predictable storms.
The researchers concluded that identifying these patterns could enable more accurate forecasting and earlier warnings as extreme weather becomes more frequent and intense due to climate change. ■
