California drought

Scientists Predict Huge Increase in Flooding, Drought in California

Researchers predict the entire West Coast will experience greater month-to-month fluctuations in extremely dry and wet weather, especially in California

Written byUniversity of California - Davis
| 2 min read
Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
2:00

California may see a 54 percent increase in rainfall variability by the end of this century, according to new research from the lab of assistant professor Da Yang, a 2019 Packard Fellow and atmospheric scientist with the University of California (UC), Davis.

Writing in the journal Nature Climate Change, Yang and his co-authors predict the entire West Coast will experience greater month-to-month fluctuations in extremely dry and wet weather, especially in California. The lead author is Wenyu Zhou, a postdoctoral researcher in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where Yang has a dual appointment.

Lab manager academy logo

Lab Management Certificate

The Lab Management certificate is more than training—it’s a professional advantage.

Gain critical skills and IACET-approved CEUs that make a measurable difference.

The study explores the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO), an atmospheric phenomenon that influences rainfall in the tropics and can trigger everything from cyclones over the Indian Ocean to heatwaves, droughts, and flooding in the United States. Yang, Zhou, and their team show that as the Earth's climate warms, the dynamics controlling MJO will expand eastward and cause a huge uptick in extreme weather in California.


Related Article: California 2100: More Frequent and More Severe Droughts and Floods Likely


"I was surprised by the magnitude of the effect," said Yang, an assistant professor with the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources. "A 54 percent increase in rainfall variability will have very significant impacts on agriculture, flood control, and water management."

In 2019, Yang was among 22 early-career scientists and engineers nationwide to receive the prestigious Packard Fellowship. He is the first recipient of the award for the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

This study was supported by the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and by the project "Toward Accurately Predicting California Hydroclimate by Cracking the Tropical Storm King," which is funded by the US Department of Energy.

lab design news logo

Interested in lab design?

Sign up for the free Lab Design Newsletter from our sister site, Lab Design News.

Is the form not loading? If you use an ad blocker or browser privacy features, try turning them off and refresh the page.

By completing this form, you agree to receive news updates and relevant promotional content from Lab Design News. You may unsubscribe at any time. View our Privacy Policy

Yang and his team use satellite observations and computer models to study the physics of rainstorms and atmospheric circulation in a changing climate. They are working to understand what environmental factors control the size and duration of rainstorms and how the collective effects of rainstorms, in turn, shape Earth's climate.

Loading Next Article...
Loading Next Article...

CURRENT ISSUE - May/June 2025

The Benefits, Business Case, And Planning Strategies Behind Lab Digitalization

Joining Processes And Software For a Streamlined, Quality-First Laboratory

Lab Manager May/June 2025 Cover Image