LUC V. / WIKIPEDIAAmazon state capital: heavier rainfall, especially in the urban areasLUC V. / WIKIPEDIA
It has been raining for more days and the periods with heavy rainfall have become more common in the city of Manaus in the last 40 years (Acta Amazonica, September 2012). The conclusion is based on meteorological data obtained from 1971 to 2007 by three stations in the Amazon State capital and the nearby area. These were analyzed by scientists from the National Institute of Research on Amazonia (Inpa), of the State University of Amazonas (UEA) and by the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG). During the period analyzed, the days of very heavy rain, with more than 50 mm of rainfall, showed a statistically significant increase only at the station in the urban area of Manaus. This might be tied to the city’s urban growth in the last few decades. In 1970, its population was slightly below 300 thousand inhabitants. Today, it stands at more than 3 million. The total annual rainfall in the region, which fluctuates between 2,500 and 3,000 mm, also shows signs of being on the rise. This trend was seen in the three stations that were studied. However, the increase was only statistically relevant for the measurements taken at the Embrapa station, some 30 kilometers north of the Amazon State capital. At this site, annual rainfall increased by 11.5 mm.
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