Spain Records Worst Flash Floods in Decades, Over 200 People Died: Climate Change

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Spain is reeling under the most devastating floods it has witnessed in decades without a warning as clouds dumped a year’s worth of rain, leaving over 200 people dead. The torrential rains led to the country’s deadliest floods, destructing roads, bridges, and tributaries.

Valencia suffered similar devastating floods in October 1957 brought in by a seasonal weather phenomenon called ‘Gota Fria’ or the Cold Drop. Researchers said Spain was hit by weather events that hit the country in Autumn and Winter. This occurs when cold air descends on warmer waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

However, it should be noted that the Mediterranean Sea has been experiencing extremely hot conditions over the past couple of years. Experts say hot moist air on the surface of the sea rises quickly and leads to tall, towering clouds that are pushed ashore, depositing large amounts of rain.

But Dr Friederike Otto attributed the rains to climate change. He said the atmosphere can hold more moisture with every fraction of a degree of fossil fuel warming, leading to heavier bursts of rainfall – Spain floods. Climate change is impacting the amount of rain the clouds carry – 7 percent for every 1C degree of warming.

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Spain Floods Failed Warning Systems

Image Credit: Cruz Roja Espanola – Twitter

Spain authorities, especially the meteorology agency, are under fire for failing to warn the people about the deadly floods. Local governments are also being criticized. The people of Spain want to know why the State Meteorology Agency issued a red alert so late.

Isabelle Anguelovski, Director of the Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, said it didn’t help that the government of Valencia did not issue until the situation was extreme. She highlighted that people were already caught in their vehicles, or were on the road, and didn’t check their social media accounts.

Dr Linda Speight says warnings can be a live saver in helping people get to higher ground and safety before a flood. She highlighted Spain saying it’s hard to issue warnings for intense thunderstorms because the exact location of the heaviest rainfall is often not known in advance.

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