Last updated October 15, 2021
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Peru Floods 2017

Peru

Since January 1, 2017, Peru has witnessed several episodes of extreme downpours, totaling up to 10 times more rain than average, leading to devastating flooding and landslides in Peru's usually semi-arid coastal region and the Andean highlands. The precipitation is clearly and directly linked to extremely warm water off the coast of Peru, which scientists in Peru have tied to a rare "coastal" El Niño event. In Peru's local climate a high percentage of total annual precipitation can fall in just a few days, causing floods or landslides. However, there is evidence that global warming may have helped to amplify the extreme rainfall. These downpours are consistent with the global trend toward heavier precipitation, a trend firmly attributed to climate change. Warmer oceans offer more moisture to passing storms, and warmer air can hold and dump more moisture. Global warming has warmed seas generally and it is possible that this trend may have also bumped the strength of the "coastal" El Niño event.  Evidence also suggests that extreme weather events associated with climate variability may be increasing in the area. The heavy rains in 2017 arrived shortly after the country experienced severe drought and wildfires due to the combination of global warming and the after-effects of El Niño. In recent decades, several extreme hydrological events occurred in the Andean-Amazonian region and climate change may be polarizing conditions in Peru, amplifying the flood/drought pattern that has repeatedly visited the country in recent years.

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