How climate crisis makes rainstorms that flooded New York more common

Monday night’s downpour was one of the most intense rainstorms in New York City history, the kind of storm that’s now happening much more often due to climate warming.

More than 2in of rain fell in New York City’s Central Park in the 7pm hour on Monday evening, part of a regional downpour that filled the city’s highways and subway tunnels and prompted several water rescues.

Rains were even more intense elsewhere in the region. More than 2in of rain fell in just 30 minutes in Brewster, New York, in the Hudson Valley.

In Union County, New Jersey, more than 6in of rain fell in little more than an hour and at least two people died as the vehicle they were traveling in was washed off the road. Phil Murphy, the New Jersey governor, declared a state of emergency due to the heavy rainfall and advised people to avoid unnecessary travel.