August M
Europe is failing to prepare for the harsher extremes of a warming planet, the EU’s official science advisers warned last week, as a series of deadly storms lashed the western Mediterranean.
From North Africa to the Iberian peninsula, successive tempests have brought torrential rain, destructive winds and mounting fatalities, renewing debate over how climate change may be shaping such events.
According to reporting by The Guardian, scientists are still assessing the precise influence of global heating on the recent systems, but early findings suggest it may be increasing their severity.
Science and scrutiny
Research group Climate Central found that climate change made a February marine heatwave associated with the storms around ten times more likely. Meanwhile, a study by World Weather Attribution, which has yet to undergo peer review, concluded that carbon pollution intensified rainfall and worsened flooding in parts of the region.
Clair Barnes of Imperial College London, a co-author of the WWA analysis, said: “Trends in the region are mixed and are not represented by the climate models. However, other lines of evidence do suggest that climate change has increased the amount of water available in that weather system to fall as rain.”
The findings add to growing concern that infrastructure and emergency planning are not keeping pace with changing weather patterns.
Morocco hit hard
Morocco has recorded 43 storm-related deaths since mid-December, many in tightly packed historic districts vulnerable to flash flooding.
In Safi’s old town, floodwaters swept through the medina, damaging homes and businesses. Hotel owner Amal Essuide described the shock of realising the scale of the disaster when rescuers retrieved a body during evacuations. “But after we entered the small boat, and they found someone dead, then we realised it was a very hard thing. It was scary.”
Portugal and Spain
Portugal endured a mix of intense rainfall and severe winds that toppled trees, damaged property and disrupted essential services. In Leiria, monitoring stations recorded winds exceeding 100mph before equipment failed. Nelson Duarte, a local beekeeper, said the storm felt overwhelming as structures shook through the night.
“It was around this time that everything seemed to be falling apart,” he said. “The wind became deafening and relentless, mixed with the sound of collapsing structures, flying tiles, breaking trees and violently banging metal sheets. The atmosphere was terrifying and conveyed the feeling the house might not hold up.”
Spain also experienced extraordinary rainfall over a short period, forcing evacuations in towns including Grazalema after underground water systems were overwhelmed. Guesthouse owner Andrés Sánchez Barea recalled the fear as water surged into homes. “I felt a lot of fear,” he said, adding that efforts to contain the flooding quickly proved futile.
As communities rebuild, policymakers face renewed pressure to strengthen flood defences, modernise warning systems and adapt urban planning to withstand a future in which extreme storms may become more frequent and more destructive
Sources: The Guardian, Climate Central, World Weather Attribution
