Hot air holds more moisture than cold air. That simple truth, while familiar to anyone who’s used a blow dryer or walked outside after a humid shower, is driving a hidden shift in how droughts behave.

Solomon Gebrechorkos receives funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO; grant no. 201880) and the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC; grant no. NE/S017380/1).

Droughts are becoming more severe and widespread across the globe. But it's not just changing rainfall patterns that are to blame. The atmosphere is also getting thirstier. In a new study published in ...