"A study has found most cities receive significantly more rain than nearby rural regions, an effect that has become more pronounced over the past two decades."

"Cities are hot. The fact that urban areas tend to be warmer than their surrounding region — a phenomenon called the heat island effect — is well-known to scientists as well as pretty much anyone who has endured a sweltering summer in a concrete jungle.

But scientists are now discovering that cities are often more rainy, too. Most cities receive significantly more rain than the nearby rural regions, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an effect that has become more pronounced over the past two decades as the climate has warmed.

“This is everywhere,” said Dev Niyogi, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and co-author on the paper. “The magnitude of the impact will vary. But just the way we treat urban heat island, we should start treating urban rainfall effect as a feature associated with urbanization.”"

Dino Grandoni reports for the Washington Post September 9, 2024. [2]