Daniel Swain in Nature News—Catastrophic Flash Droughts Brought by Climate Change Are Catching Farmers Off Guard

According to a new study, climate change is speeding up and intensifying droughts, particularly the fast-developing heat-driven type that catches farmers off guard.

It’s the increasing thirstiness of the atmosphere, according to climate scientist Daniel Swain of UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, who was not involved in the study. Swain described the issue as “extremely relevant” in light of global warming.