The UN weather agency reported on Friday that flooding in Spain, which has reportedly claimed over 158 lives, is just one of many extreme weather and water-related disasters happening worldwide.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) spokesperson Clare Nullis, speaking at a UN press briefing, remarked, “This year, it feels like every week brings more shocking images.”
She continued, “The deadly, record-breaking rainfall and flash floods in Spain have led to dozens of fatalities, massive disruption, and significant economic losses. This is just the latest in a series of flooding disasters impacting communities globally.”
Nullis highlighted that the world is increasingly facing extremes of too much or too little water, adding that as global temperatures rise, air holds 7% more moisture for every degree of warming.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has noted that extreme weather events causing floods and droughts have grown more frequent and severe due to human-caused climate change, including pollution and environmental impacts, according to the WMO. “Similar severe storms have hit the Mediterranean basin before, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to such events,” Nullis said.
This recent storm unleashed nearly a year’s worth of rain within hours, causing rivers to overflow and triggering severe flash floods in Spain’s Valencia region, where streets transformed into raging torrents.
Omar Baddour, WMO’s chief of climate monitoring, explained at the press conference that the Mediterranean basin is particularly susceptible to severe storms and cyclones, especially as summer ends. He said that a cold air mass recently triggered atmospheric instability over a localized area affecting Spain, Portugal, North Morocco, and France, resulting in heavy downpours.
Spain’s government has declared three days of national mourning in response to the tragic flooding.
