Extreme rainfall from Hurricane Ian worsened by climate breakdown – study

US researchers find human-induced global heating has increased intensity of downpours in powerful mega-storm

Human-induced climate change increased the extreme rainfall brought by Hurricane Ian, which has devastated parts of Florida, by more than 10%, according to a new preliminary analysis.

Ian has caused widespread damage and at least 21 deaths since crunching into south-west Florida on Wednesday, tearing asunder cities such as Fort Myers and Cape Coral with winds that reached close to 150mph and a storm surge that in places reached 18ft. More than 2 million people have been left without power as the storm has rampaged across the state and moved northwards to the Carolinas.