A "firehose" atmospheric river ripping through the state of California has been captured in space imagery.
The satellite imagery released by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, seen above, shows the massive band of moisture moving across California on Tuesday, February 20.
"A firehose of moisture is aimed at Southern California this morning. Flooding risks remain as the atmospheric river continues to bring heavy rain," CIRA said on X, formerly Twitter.
Parts of Southern California are under extreme rainfall and flood warnings as the weather phenomenon continues to make its way through the state. The atmospheric river is expected to cause extremely heavy rainfall, strong winds and heavy snow on the mountains. The extreme weather is expected to let up by Wednesday.
Atmospheric rivers are corridors of tropical moisture that travel through the atmosphere. They transport this moisture from the equator toward the North and South poles, causing extreme weather like heavy rainfall and storms when they arrive.
California has been hit with a series of atmospheric rivers in recent weeks, which have caused severe rainfall and subsequent flooding.
The first atmospheric rivers that hit the state at the beginning of this month were so severe that they caused a record amount of rainfall.
Severe atmospheric rivers can cause intense disruption to communities and sometimes even a danger to life. Predicting these weather events will ensure proper precautions can be taken.
There is evidence to suggest atmospheric rivers may be increasing. Recent research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres found that atmospheric rivers could only increase if climate change continues to worsen.
The study used climate models to analyze how atmospheric rivers changed and will continue to change between 1980 and 2099 as global warming continues. The researchers found that rising surface temperatures will increase the moisture content in the air, subsequently forming more atmospheric rivers and the extreme weather that they often bring.
"Our projections, utilizing advanced data, suggest a marked increase in the frequency of atmospheric rivers along both the western and eastern coastlines of the USA," the author of the study, Mengqian Lu, an associate professor at the department of civil and environmental engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, previously told Newsweek.
"Additionally, these atmospheric rivers are expected to migrate towards higher latitudes, significantly heightening the risk of severe weather events in Alaska. A closer examination of their landfall characteristics, particularly along the western coast—commonly impacted by 'Pineapple Express' systems—reveals that not only will atmospheric rivers make landfall more frequently, but they are also likely to persist longer and maintain their strength as strong atmospheric rivers.
"Consequently, we can anticipate a surge in atmospheric river-driven precipitation, elevating the potential for extreme weather conditions and increased flooding risks."
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Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
