HEAVY rains that caused landslides killing hundreds of people in southern India last month were made worse by man-made climate change, an analysis by scientists has revealed.

The study by the World Weather Attribution, published on Tuesday, found that the 5.91 inches of rain that fell in 24 hours on July 29-30 was 10 per cent more intense because of global warming.

The group of scientists expects that further emissions of planet-heating gases will result in increasingly frequent intense downpours, increasing the chances of further disasters.

Nearly 200 people were killed and rescuers in Kerala state are still searching for more than 130 missing.

One of the report authors, Mariam Zachariah, said: “The Wayanad landslides are another catastrophic example of climate change playing out in real time.

“Until the world replaces fossil fuels with renewable energy, monsoon downpours will continue to intensify, bringing landslides, floods and misery to India.”

Last month’s rainfall was the third heaviest in Kerala since records began in 1901.

Last year, more than 400 people died following heavy rains in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh.

Multiple studies have found that climate change has made India’s monsoon rains more erratic.