There is a physical upper bound to hourly rainfall intensity
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 86/100
Extreme rainfall intensities are physically bounded by the Clausius-Clapeyron relation, which governs the moisture-holding capacity of the atmosphere at a given temperature.
Evidence for · 2
Extreme Sub‐Hourly Precipitation Intensities Scale Close to the Clausius‐Clapeyron Rate Over Europe
2021 · cited by 53
Paper 0 shows that extreme sub-hourly precipitation intensities scale asymptotically with the Clausius-Clapeyron relation, reflecting the physical water-holding capacity bound of a warmer atmosphere.
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More for · 1
Towards Subdaily Rainfall Disaggregation via Clausius–Clapeyron
2014 · cited by 33
Paper 1 notes that heavy short-term precipitation scaling is constrained by the exponential Clausius-Clapeyron relation, providing a thermodynamic upper limit for rainfall intensity.