More rainy days from climate change could dampen economic growth: Study

Scientists examined 40 years of data from more than 1,500 global regions and found that more rain can slow economic growth.

More rainy days and extreme rainfall likely will hurt global economies, according to new research from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

"This is about prosperity -- and ultimately about people's jobs," Leonie Wenz, a lead scientist, told ABC News. "Economies across the world are slowed down by more wet days and extreme daily rainfall, an important insight that adds to our growing understanding of the true costs of climate change."

"We know from previous work that flooding associated with extreme rainfall can damage infrastructure, which is critical to economic productivity, and also cause local disruptions to production," said Wenz, adding that the new findings also suggest everyday disruptions caused by more rain will have "a disruptive effect on businesses, manufacturing, transportation."

The analysis, conducted by a team of scientists who examined 40 years of data in more than 1,500 regions across the globe, shows that as wet days go up, economic growth goes down.