Ireland's 'luck will run out' in avoiding extreme flooding due to climate change, scientists say

The rainfall associated with Storm Claudia was 12% higher than the pre-industrial climate, scientists found. Picture: Larry Cummins. 

Human-induced climate change heightened the risk of flooding during Storm Claudia earlier this month and “our luck will run out eventually” when it comes to avoiding an "extreme event", scientists have said.

A group of researchers from Maynooth University and climate scientists from Met Éireann studied data from the orange-warning storm that hit Ireland only a few weeks ago, and found the rainfall associated with Claudia was 12% higher than the pre-industrial climate.