Science Source

Storm type effects on super Clausius–Clapeyron scaling of intense rainstorm properties with air temperature

States that extreme precipitation is thought to increase with warming at rates similar to or greater than the water vapour holding capacity of the air at ~ 7% °C−1, the so-called Clausius–Clapeyron (CC) rate
Presents an empirical study of the variability in the rates of increase in precipitation intensity with air temperature using 30 years of 10 min and 1 h data from 59 stations in Switzerland
Finds the average rates of increase in extremes (95th percentile) of mean event intensity computed from 10 min data are 6.5% °C−1 (no-lightning events), 8.9% °C−1 (lightning events) and 10.7% °C−1 (all events combined)
Finds that for peak 10 min intensities during an event the rates are 6.9% °C−1 (no-lightning events), 9.3% °C−1 (lightning events) and 13.0% °C−1 (all events combined)
States the estimated number of convective events has increased across Switzerland in the last 30 years, with 30% of the stations showing statistically significant changes
States the changes in intense convective storms with higher temperatures may be relevant for hydrological risk connected with those events in the future