From deluges to drought: Climate change speeds up water cycle, triggers more extreme weather
Prolonged droughts, wildfires and water shortages. Torrential downpours that overwhelm dams and cause catastrophic flooding.
Around the globe, rising temperatures stoked by climate change are increasing the odds of both severe drought and heavier precipitation that wreak havoc on people and the environment.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm#2:?72== 42? 5:D2AA62C 7@C J62CD @?=J E@ C6EFC? H:E9 2 G6?862?46[ 2D :E 5:5 :? r2=:7@C?:2 :? a_ab[ H:E9 C64@C5\D6EE:?8 C2:? 2?5 D?@H72==] %92E =65 E@ 962GJ G686E2E:@? 8C@HE9 E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42=:7@C?:2\H:=57:C6\4=:>2E6\492?86\3FC?\56G2DE2E:@?\H2C>:?8`cah67f4e`b2_5hf74`de_ega`ddf`5aRiOiE6IEl(p$wx}v%~}Ta_Wp!XTa_TtaTg_ThcTa_wF>2?Tas[H:=57:C6DTarTa_2Ta_D4:6?E:7:4Ta_DEF5JTa_7@F?5]QmAC@G:565 7F6=k^2m 7@C E96 56G2DE2E:?8 y2?F2CJ H:=57:C6D :? {@D p?86=6D 27E6C 5C@F89E C6EFC?65]k^Am
kAmqFE 9@H 42? 8=@32= H2C>:?8 42FD6 3@E9 5C:6C 2?5 H6EE6C 6IEC6>6Dn w6C6VD H92E 6IA6CED D2J]k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8mp== 23@FE E96 H2E6C 4J4=6k^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAm(2E6C 4@?DE2?E=J >@G6D 36EH66? E96 t2CE9 2?5 :ED 2E>@DA96C6] qFE E92E DJDE6> — 42==65 E96 9J5C@=@8:42= 4J4=6 — :D DA665:?8 FA 2D 8=@32= E6>A6C2EFC6D 86E 9@EE6C[ AC:>2C:=J 5F6 E@ E96 3FC?:?8 @7 7@DD:= 7F6=D =:<6 4@2= 2?5 82D]k^Am
kAmp 9@EE6C 2E>@DA96C6 DF4<D FA >@C6 H2E6C G2A@C 7C@> 3@5:6D @7 H2E6C 2?5 G686E2E:@? 2?5 D@:=]k^Am
kAm~G6C =2?5[ E9:D 2E>@DA96C:4 56>2?5 2?5 =@DD @7 DFC7246 >@:DEFC6 =625D E@ =@?86C 2?5 >@C6 :?E6?D6 5C@F89ED[ 6G6? 42FD:?8 D@>6 2C:5 2C62D E@ 6IA2?5] %9@F89 C2:? 72==D =6DD @7E6?[ H96? :E 5@6D[ :EVD @7E6? :? :?E6?D6 2?5 56DECF4E:G6 56=F86D]k^Am
kAm%92EVD 3642FD6 E96 2E>@DA96C6 9@=5D fT >@C6 H2E6C G2A@C 7@C 6G6CJ 568C66 r6=D:FD]k^Am
kAm“q2D:42==J[ 8=@32= H2C>:?8 :D EFC?:?8 E96 2E>@DA96C6 :?E@ 2 3:886C DA@?86 D@ :E 42? D@2< FA >@C6 >@:DEFC6 ]]] 2?5 E96? H96? E96 4@?5:E:@?D 2C6 C:89E 7@C C2:?72==[ :E’D =:<6 DBF66K:?8 E92E DA@?86[” D2:5 y@?2E92? ~G6CA64<[ 2 4=:>2E6 D4:6?E:DE 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:49:82?] Q*@F 86E >@C6 >@:DEFC6 4@>:?8 @FE 72DE6C]Qk^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8m~462?D A=2J @FED:K65 C@=6k^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAm~462?D 23D@C3 >@DE @7 E96 A=2?6E’D 6IEC2 962E] %92E 42FD6D E96 H2E6C E@ 6IA2?5 2?5 :46 E@ >6=E 2E E96 A@=6D[ C2:D:?8 D62 =6G6=D] %96 H2C>6C H2E6C 2=D@ AC@G:56D 7F6= 7@C =2C86C k2 9C67lQ]9EEADi^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C2:?72==\96=6?6\42C@=:?2\E6??6DD66\86@C8:2\4=:>2E6\492?86\7=@@5\7432ebc6`c2_772`2g6`72gd5f6a3bh_Qm9FCC:42?6Dk^2m 2?5 4J4=@?6D E92E 42? 5F>A >2DD:G6 2>@F?ED @7 H2E6C :? 2 D9@CE E:>6]k^Am
kAmx? a_ab[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 962GJ @?6\52J C2:?D 7C@> |65:E6CC2?62? DE@C> s2?:6= 42FD65 >2DD:G6 7=@@5:?8 24C@DD 62DE6C? {:3J2 E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=:3J2\56C?2\52>D\4@==2AD6\7=@@5D\4@CCFAE:@?\?68=64E\492@D\cd7fe5a24fe36ebcgeddbh2af3d`g252Qm@G6CH96=>65 EH@ 52>Dk^2m[ D6?5:?8 2 H2== @7 H2E6C E9C@F89 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=:3J2\7=@@5D\56C?2\DE@C>\52?:6=``4bb2`ac`g`ch7fe`76fh2cf62fagh4QmE96 4@2DE2= 4:EJ @7 s6C?2 E92E 56DEC@J65 6?E:C6 ?6:893@C9@@5Dk^2m 2?5 DH6AE 3C:586D[ 42CD 2?5 A6@A=6 @FE E@ D62]k^Am
kAmr=:>2E6 D4:6?E:DED D2J 4=:>2E6 492?86 >256 E92E DE@C> 72C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4=:>2E6\492?86\=:3J2\7=@@5\DEF5J\b652h6ffgc_5g335f_dg6chc44_2aab`Qm>@C6 =:<6=J]k^2mk^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8m$?@HA24< :D 5:>:?:D9:?8k^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAmr=:>2E6 492?86 2=D@ :D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D?@H\>6=E\4=:>2E6\492?86\D?@HA24<\D<:\267b_25hgg`f57f`h`b325ee_7hf73c_Qm27764E:?8 D?@HA24<[k^2m 2 4C:E:42= A2CE @7 E96 9J5C@=@8:42= 4J4=6]k^Am
kAm|6=E:?8 D?@H 96=AD 7:== C6D6CG@:CD 2?5 H2E6CH2JD[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C 5C:?<:?8 2?5 28C:4F=EFC6] qFE =6DD D?@H :D 72==:?8 :? 86?6C2=[ 2?5 H92E 5@6D @7E6? :D 23D@C365 3J E9:CDEJ D@:=]k^Am
kAm(92EVD >@C6[ 3642FD6 H:?E6CD 2C6 364@>:?8 H2C>6C @G6C2==[ E96 8C@H:?8 D62D@? :D =@?86C[ >62?:?8 D?@H>6=E 2=D@ :D 36:?8 =@DE E9C@F89 6G2A@EC2?DA:C2E:@? @7 A=2?ED] qFE[ ;FDE =:<6 C2:?[ 4=:>2E6 492?86 2=D@ 42? 42FD6 >@C6 :?E6?D6 2?5 D@>6E:>6D 52>28:?8 D?@HDE@C>D]k^Am
kAm“p== E9:D DEF77 :D C6=2E65 E@ H2C>:?8[ H9:49 H6 <?@H H:E9 A6C764E 4@?7:56?46 :D 2=>@DE 2== 5F6 E@ 9F>2? 24E:G:EJ[” ~G6CA64< D2:5] “%96 8@@5 ?6HD :D[ H6 <?@H 9@H E@ DE@A :E :7 H6 H2?E E@]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmu@==@H (6336C @? )i oEH6336C_a @C q=F6D<Ji oE;H6336C]3D<J]D@4:2=k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm%96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD’ 4=:>2E6 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@G6C286 C646:G6D 7:?2?4:2= DFAA@CE 7C@> >F=E:A=6 AC:G2E6 7@F?52E:@?D] p! :D D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 2== 4@?E6?E] u:?5 p!’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^23@FE^DE2?52C5D\7@C\H@C<:?8\H:E9\@FED:56\8C@FAD^QmDE2?52C5Dk^2m 7@C H@C<:?8 H:E9 A9:=2?E9C@A:6D[ 2 =:DE @7 DFAA@CE6CD 2?5 7F?565 4@G6C286 2C62D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^5:D4@G6C^$FAA@CE:?8\p!Qmp!]@C8k^2m]k^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.