GETTY An increase in rain could completely change life in parts of Africa

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Scientists have discovered evidence in computer simulations for a change to heavy seasonal rainfall turning Africa's arid Sahel region, which spans from the Sahara to the Sudanian Savanna. Very dry regions, such as Mali, Niger and Chad, which have been struck by droughts, could receive as much rainfall as tropical climates. Lead-author of the study Jacob Schewe from Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) said: "More rain in a dry region can be good news.

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We don't know what the impacts on the ground will be, this is beyond the scope of our study; but imagine the chance of a greening Sahel Author of study

"Climate change due to greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels really has the power to shake things up. "It is driving risks for crop yields in many regions and generally increases dangerous weather extremes around the globe, yet in the dry Sahel there seems to be a chance that further warming might indeed enhance water availability for farming and grazing."

The scientists believe that if greenhouse gas emissions continue, the resulting global warming of more than two degrees Celsius, could change the weather patterns in the Sahel. Co-author Anders Levermann from PIK said: "We don't know what the impacts on the ground will be, this is beyond the scope of our study; but imagine the chance of a greening Sahel.

GETTY Scientists have described the possible change as "mindboggling"

"Still, the sheer size of the possible change is mindboggling - this is one of the very few elements in Earth system that we might witness tipping soon. "Once the temperature approaches the threshold, the rainfall regime could shift within just a few years." The authors believe the huge change in the weather could affect more than 100 million people and agriculture and infrastructure will be forced to adapt to meet the challenge.

Getty The find shows the arid regions could go from dry to wet