CLIMATE INFORMATION
Adaptation - Security - Resilience
Floods
Numerous techniques allow us to protect buildings and cities
Heavy rains and flooding are intensifying (UN news). Climate change is a disasters multiplier.
In Europe, these hazards have increased significantly. Economic losses due to weather and climate events over the past few decades already exceed projections for 2100 (EUCRA 2024). Events sometimes outpace predictions. They'll worsen with every tenth of a degree of warming.
Thunderstorms
Severe thunderstorms are more frequent (Peleg). They bring very intense hourly rainfall. The risk of hail increases, and tornadoes may eventually occur.
Persistent rain
Rainfall over 5 days is heavier. The strongest cyclones could bring more rain and several rainfall episodes could occur the same week.
Humidity
Global warming increases air humidity by an average of 7% per degree. The atmosphere therefore contains more water, leading to more abundant rainfall.
Evaporation
The surface of the seas and oceans is warming. Water evaporates more easily from warmer oceans. In September 2024, floodwaters that swept across Eastern Europe came from the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, which had experienced exceptionally high temperatures shortly beforehand. Furthermore, the permanent ice is disappearing in the Arctic Ocean, and the exposed surface allows for greater evaporation. This change can lead to more intense rainfall.
Condensation
clouds
Clouds condense more easily in a water-saturated atmosphere. Larger thunderstorms are now covering several countries. Huge atmospheric rivers are carrying enormous amounts of water towards the continents.
Atmospheric currents
Global warming changes atmospheric circulation and allows cold polar air to descend far south. At other times, it brings warm air laden with water vapor into contact with cold air, causing heavy precipitation.