Europe experienced its worst flooding since 2013 in 2024, with 30% of the continent’s river systems surpassing high flood thresholds. Scientists from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization linked the widespread deluge to fossil fuel-driven climate change and extreme weather intensification.
At least 335 people lost their lives and more than 410,000 were affected. The costliest impact was in Western Europe, which saw one of its ten wettest years since 1950. Damages from floods and storms surpassed 18 billion euros in 2024, making them the continent’s most financially destructive weather extremes.
2024 was also the warmest year on record globally and in Europe, with the continent warming faster than any other region. Human-induced climate change has pushed global temperatures 1.3°C higher than pre-industrial levels, contributing to more frequent and severe weather events.
Despite the devastation, the report highlighted progress—renewable sources generated 45% of Europe’s energy in 2024, and many cities have adopted climate adaptation plans.
Nevertheless, the scale of weather extremes was vast. Southeastern Europe endured a record 13-day heatwave. Scandinavia’s glaciers receded faster than ever. Eastern Europe faced drought, while floods ravaged the West.
In Valencia alone, 232 people died in catastrophic October floods. September’s Storm Boris brought record-breaking rainfall to Central Europe, inundating Austria, Czechia, Germany, and Slovakia. Scientists confirmed that climate change is intensifying such downpours by increasing atmospheric water vapor, which hit a record high in 2024.
Source: Swifteradio.com
