The scientists tested a new method for predicting rainfall and runoff in the Yangtze basin during heavy rainstorms in 1998. By combining two models, they found that the new approach improved the accuracy of rainfall predictions by about 10%. The new method also changed how heat moves between the ground and the air, affecting how much water runs off the surface. This led to less runoff at the start of the rainstorm and more runoff later on. Overall, the combined model accurately represented the hydrological processes during the heavy rainstorms in the Yangtze basin.