Chinese researchers have revealed that climate change is leading to changes in rainfall patterns around the world, which may result in the intensification of hurricanes and tropical storms. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Historical Data Sciences confirmed in a research study that nearly 75 percent of the world's land area has witnessed an increase in rainfall fluctuations or wider fluctuations between dry and humid weather. The researchers stated that rising temperatures have led to an increase in the atmosphere's ability to retain moisture, causing wider fluctuations in rainfall, noting that climate change is also changing the behavior of tropical storms, including hurricanes, making them less frequent but more powerful. In a related context, Stephen Sherwood, a scientist at the Climate Change Research Center at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said that fluctuations have increased in most places, including Australia, which means periods of heavier rain and more sever e droughts. This would increase as global warming continues, increasing the chances of droughts or floods, Sherwood added. Scientists believe that the increase in water vapor in the atmosphere is the main reason behind all these trends towards more extreme hydrological phenomena. Source: Qatar News Agency