Climate change has nearly doubled the risk of extreme flooding in Central Europe, including Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and other countries, a study has found. As global warming continues, heavy rainstorms will become even more intense and frequent, scientists warn.
The rainfall from storm ‘Boris’ from September 12 to 15 was the heaviest four-day rainfall recorded in Central Europe since measurements began in 1940, according to the scientific initiative World Weather Attribution.
The rain affected an unusually large area from Germany to Romania, even larger than the previous major floods in 1997 and 2002, said the team led by Friederike Otto of Imperial College London.
“Climate change is an existential threat”
As global warming continues due to fossil fuel use, heavy rains will become even more intense and frequent, scientists warn. The costs of climate disasters risk escalating. “Climate change is an existential threat, especially for the poorer parts of society, and all Europeans should know that fighting climate change will make their lives much better,” Friederike Otto emphasizes.
A rapid analysis presented in mid-September already showed that climate change probably played a major role in the period of heavy rainfall. The heavy rainfall is largely due to human-induced climate change, according to the research consortium Climameter.
Such so-called attribution studies use data on similar weather conditions in the past and compare them statistically with climate simulations. At a local level, a trend towards more river flooding can be observed in Western and Central Europe.
result of political irresponsibility
“The consequences of the flood disasters in our neighbouring countries are dramatic: cities and livelihoods have been destroyed,” says Carla Reemtsma, climate activist and press spokesperson for Fridays for Future Germany, when analysing the World Weather Attribution. “And what makes it worse: it could have been prevented.” The fact that the climate crisis is escalating is a direct result of political irresponsibility.
Science predicted such scenarios, but politicians ignored them, says Reemtsma.
Michael Schäfer, director of the climate protection organization Germanzero, explained: “Although many give the impression that climate protection measures such as the combustion engine compromise or the heating law went too far, this study shows crystal clear: Anyone who continues to delay climate protection will increasingly lead to serious flood disasters.”
Source: Krone
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