Scientists say climate change goosed New Zealand storm fury

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle flooded New Zealand with gigantic amounts of rain last month and scientists say they are sure that climate change is a factor. But researchers are unable to say just how big a role global warming played in one of the worst disasters in the country’s history. A new flash study found that climate change did intensify the rainfall. But because New Zealand weather records don’t go back that far and the area affected was relatively small, normal methods to quantify climate change’s fingerprints in the disaster are not conclusive.