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Communicating the link between climate change and extreme rain events

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Extreme rainfall events are often linked to climate change based on simple thermodynamic arguments, but complex dynamic processes also play a role. Scientists have a responsibility to ensure they provide accurate information to the media and public.

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Fig. 1: Considerations for statements to the media and public regarding the influence of climate change on an extreme rainfall event.

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Acknowledgements

A.D.K. and K.J.R. acknowledge support from the Australian Research Council (DE180100638). All authors acknowledge support from the Australian Research Council (CE170100023). A.D.K. acknowledges the Australian Government National Environmental Science Program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Andrew D. King & Kimberley J. Reid

  2. ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, Victoria, Australia

    Andrew D. King, Kimberley J. Reid & Kate R. Saunders

  3. School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    Kimberley J. Reid

  4. School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Kate R. Saunders

  5. Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics, Monash University, Victoria, Australia

    Kate R. Saunders

Authors
  1. Andrew D. King
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  2. Kimberley J. Reid
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  3. Kate R. Saunders
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Correspondence to Andrew D. King.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Nature Geoscience thanks Joshua Ettinger and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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King, A.D., Reid, K.J. & Saunders, K.R. Communicating the link between climate change and extreme rain events. Nat. Geosci. 16, 552–554 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01223-1

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