Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense because of climate change. An early hot summer that saw heatwaves, was followed by major flooding hitting Europe last month, prompting extreme conditions that have continued across the continent.
Our latest blog looks in more detail at the relationship between global warming and flooding, focusing on some of the recent flooding, which has highlighted the importance of disaster preparedness and mitigation worldwide.
Early in June (2024), flood waters inundated parts of southern Germany, spreading down the Danube to Austria & Hungary. Several people were confirmed dead, after the heavy rain waters led to the rivers bursting their banks in Bavaria & Baden Wurttemberg. Water levels in the historic city of Passau, where three rivers meet, rose close to 10m (32ft), the highest for more than a decade!
The Danube burst its banks in Linz, Austria’s third-largest city, leaving areas close to the riverbank completely submerged. River traffic on the Danube was brought to a complete standstill, whilst cargo shipping was halted on the Rhine in some areas of southern Germany. Experts described parts of Germany as experiencing ‘once in a century’ levels of rainfall. Cars were swept away, and entire regions inundated, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz commented that the flooding is a reminder that halting human-caused climate change cannot be neglected.
In Poland, emergency services were dispatched after roads and basements flooded in Zakopane and nearby towns. Flooding, which was caused by a cloudburst, made the Zakopianka route connecting the Tatra Mountains to Krakow impassable for several hours. The extreme weather also affected Austria, where a thunderstorm, accompanied by heavy rain, hit the municipalities of Rappolz and also Waldkirchen in Germany, both near the border with the Czech Republic. This thunderstorm followed a devastating hailstorm, which left a village declared a disaster area, with emergency workers using tarpaulin to cover buildings late into the night.
At least four people were killed by flooding caused by heavy storms, which struck Switzerland and northern Italy. Heavy rain had pounded the South and West of Switzerland, causing camp sites to be evacuated, and bridges to collapse. The Rhone River, further north, burst its banks in several areas within the Valais region, a motorway and a railway line were subsequently flooded.
Local police said that side valleys south of the Rhone saw particularly heavy rain, and the body of a man, whose partner had reported him missing, was found. Firefighters in Italy say they carried out about 80 rescue operations across a single weekend, evacuating dozens of people in the northern Piedmont region.
Several villages in the Valle D’Aosta region were isolated due to overflowing streams, storms and landslides. Scientists have attributed the latest extreme weather events, including scorching heatwaves, to climate change driven by human activity.
Further east and continuing into June, torrential rain caused devastation, resulting in thousands of people across southern China being evacuated, as deadly torrential rains thrashed the region, causing flash flooding and landslides. The catastrophic floods caused by heavy downpours in southern China’s Guangdong province resulted in at least 47 deaths.
The situation was particularly severe in Meizhou city, where 38 additional fatalities were confirmed. More than 55,000 people were affected by the rain, which caused extensive damage to homes and roads. The direct economic loss in Jiaoling county alone was estimated at 3.65 billion yuan, while the Meixian district faced a potential loss of 1.06 billion yuan. Again, experts said that these floods were at ‘once in a century’ disaster levels.
The southern Guangdong province is an economic powerhouse home to 127 million people and is subject to annual flooding from April to September. But the region has faced more intense rainstorms and severe flooding in recent years, and scientists warn the climate crisis will amplify extreme weather, making it deadlier and more frequent. Other parts of China are also facing earlier and longer extreme heat periods and droughts each year, causing widespread power shortages and disruptions on food and industrial supply chains.
For every 1C rise in average temperature, the atmosphere can hold about 7 percent more moisture. This inevitably results in more droplets and heavier rainfall, sometimes in a shorter space of time and over a smaller area.
Researchers have produced a detailed “future flood map” of Britain – simulating the impact of flooding as climate change takes its toll. It has revealed that annual damage caused by flooding could increase by more than a fifth (in today’s terms) over the next century. That could be reduced if pledges to reduce global carbon emissions are met. However, even if climate change pledges are met – keeping temperature increase to around 1.8C – places including south-east England, north-west England and south Wales are set to experience significantly increased flooding.
The annual cost of flood damage across the UK currently, according to the Association of British Insurers, is £700m. A new study shows that the percentage of the global population at risk from flooding has risen by almost a quarter since the year 2000.
The reality is that this is the world we live in. The record temperatures, followed by record rainfall and flood phenomena are not anomalous, they are the beginning of a new norm, and the new records will continue to be exceeded, year after year.
What will things be like in a few decades when increased temperatures hit 1.5oC? As affected communities drain, dredge, dry out and count the cost of lost belongings, ruined homes and businesses, as people live with lingering damp, and new fears of future storms, it appears that much needs to be done to prepare ourselves to face our future reality.
Since 1994, Flood Control International has designed, supplied, and installed the widest range of flood protection solutions in the world.
To view our range of flood protection solutions, visit: https://floodcontrolinternational.com/flood-prevention-products/
To view our new Boxwall website, visit https://boxwall.co.uk/. Boxwall combines a self-anchoring design, rapid deployment, and customisable configurations to safeguard properties.
References:
Germany’s deadly floods spread along Danube – BBC News
Six dead as floods inundate vast parts of India, Bangladesh – News | Khaleej Times
Relentless deadly rains lash southern China as flooding threatens millions | CNN
How climate change is making record-breaking floods the new normal (unep.org)
Highway collapses from torrential rain in China killing 24 people | The Independent
