Shifting rains

Long Zhang and colleagues from Wuhan University, Seoul Institute of Technology and Gyeongsang National University used observational data to study how changes in the latitude of TCs in the western North Pacific have influenced rainfall in Asia over the last 42 years. While most features of TCs showed a declining trend over this time period, the intensity and lifespan of high-intensity TCs increased. The TC tracks showed a northwestward shift. Combined, these changes lead to a redistribution of rainfall over the affected areas, with a decrease in the daily maximum precipitation in inland China, the Philippines and Myanmar and an increase in East Asia and Kalimantan Island. This highlights that shifts in the TC latitude can have substantial impacts on land areas and need to be considered in adaptation efforts.