Floods in Europe: more intense and steadily increasing

Over the past 30 years, floods have had a devastating impact in Europe, affecting some 5.5 million people, claiming nearly 3,000 lives and causing economic damage estimated at over 170 billion euros. These figures emerge from a resolution passed by the European Parliament last September, following the catastrophic effects of storm Boris. This storm initially hit central Europe hard, devastating countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Germany, and Hungary, before pushing on to Italy, causing further devastation in Emilia Romagna.

2024 was a year full of floods and extreme weather events across Europe: from Hurricane Kirk that hit Italy last September to the torrential rains in Bosnia at the beginning of October, and then again the floods that swept through southern Germany last June and storm Henk that hit France and Great Britain earlier this year. No less than 2023: floods also had a significant impact in Europe last year, affecting some 1.6 million people and generating 81% of the economic losses related to the effects of climate change on the continent, according to data from the Copernicus programme. One third of Europe's river network experienced flows above the 'high' flood threshold, with record levels in major river basins, including the Loire, Rhine and Danube.

Another extreme event in 2024 was the flood that hit Valencia in late October, causing devastating floods and paralysing the entire region. At the origin of this disaster is the DANA, an acronym for Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos (in Italian, 'isolated depression in the high levels'). This low-pressure system with closed internal circulation is separate from the general circulation of the atmosphere and moves independently of it. It is formed when a high-altitude jet stream, travelling at speeds of up to 200 km/h, deforms and isolates itself. This atmospheric phenomenon is common in the western Mediterranean and has devastating effects. The DANA that struck Valencia is the same system that, a few days earlier, had brought bad weather to several Italian regions, including Liguria, Sicily and Sardinia.

The increase of floods in Europe is closely linked to climate change, as evidenced by numerous scientific studies. According to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA), climate change is worsening floods, droughts and reducing water quality, posing an increasing threat to human health. Furthermore, a analysis published in Nature found that current climate policies are not sufficient to keep the rise in global temperature below 2°C, which could lead to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including floods. This research underlines the urgency of taking more effective measures to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce the impact of future floods.