Europe's Climate Crisis: A Year of Unprecedented Storms, Floods, and Heatwaves
A report has revealed that the devastating storms and floods that swept across Europe last year impacted 413,000 individuals, as the continent faced its hottest year on record due to fossil fuel pollution. Dramatic images of cars stranded on flooded streets and bridges swept away by torrents were witnessed throughout 2024, accompanied by high flood levels on 30 of the European river network, with 12 of those surpassing severe flood thresholds.
The most catastrophic events occurred in central Europe in September and eastern Spain in October, resulting in over 250 of the 335 flood-related fatalities reported for the continent. Research indicates that these natural disasters were exacerbated by global warming, allowing clouds to dump more rain than in previous years.
Celeste Saulo, the Director General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), emphasized that every fraction of a degree in temperature rise holds significance, stating, "We are making progress but need to go further and need to go faster, and we need to go together."
Published by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service and the WMO, the report also noted that the number of days experiencing strong, very strong, and extreme heat stress were the second-highest on record. Southeastern Europe endured its longest heatwave, lasting 13 consecutive days in July 2024, and intense heat across the continent contributed to wildfires that affected 42,000 people. In September, Portugal witnessed catastrophic wildfires that consumed approximately 110,000 hectares in just one week, accounting for a quarter of Europe's burnt land for the year.
Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, remarked, "The report lays bare the pain Europe’s population is already suffering from extreme weather at 1.3°C of global heating above pre-industrial levels. We’re on track to experience 3°C by 2100." She referenced the calamitous floods in Spain, the fires in Portugal, and summer heatwaves as harbingers of the devastating impacts of substantial warming.
The report also highlighted a peculiar contrast between western and eastern Europe, where the west tended to be damp and cloudy, while the east remained warm and sunny. River flows were generally above average in western nations and below average in their eastern counterparts. The Thames in the UK and the Loire in France recorded their highest flows in 33 years, indicating widespread shifts in hydrology.
Additionally, glaciers across regions experienced significant ice loss, especially in Scandinavia and Svalbard, confirming a worrisome trend. The report also pointed to unusually high temperatures north of the Arctic Circle, alongside the hottest sea surface temperatures recorded in the Mediterranean.
Froila Palmeiro, a climate scientist at the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, asserted that these extremes not only harm ecosystems directly but also disrupt weather patterns impacting all of Europe. Alarmingly, Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, although it has made greater strides in reducing planet-heating pollution compared to other major economies. The EU has committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with an imminent announcement of a 90% reduction target for 2040.
Thomas Gelin, a climate campaigner at Greenpeace EU, criticized political leaders for their failure to hold fossil fuel companies accountable and halt their polluting practices. "The only parts of Europe that aren’t being boiled dry are being washed away in floods," he stated. Gelin urged the EU to urgently revise its climate goals to align with scientific realities and to eliminate new fossil fuel projects as a foundational move towards comprehensive phase-out.
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