Summer has so far been a washout in much of New England, where rainfall records for July could be broken — and some have already toppled. With 13 days still left this month, 12.67 inches have fallen on Worcester, Mass., breaking the previous record of 11.24 inches that was set in 1938, according to the National Weather Service. Boston and Hartford, Conn., have both had their third-wettest July on record. “It’s been a pretty terrible stretch.”Although it is not possible to immediately draw a connection between one heavy downpour — or even a wet month — and climate change, the United States and other parts of the world have seen an increase in the frequency of heavy rainstorms as the world warms. One basic reason is that warmer air holds more moisture.

Source: New York Times July 19, 2021 18:44 UTC