Rare Atmospheric River in the Middle East

Abstract

Record rainfall in late March 2019 led to unprecedented flooding across several Middle Eastern countries and caused enormous damages and casualties, particularly in Iran. The intense rains have made the 2018/19 rainy season (October–March) the wettest in the past four decades, a sharp contrast with the prior year, which was the driest over the same period. Thus, this event is an example of rapid dry-to-wet transitions and intensification of extremes, potentially resulting from climate change.