Extreme rainfall in Spain has become 12% more intense and twice as likely due to human-caused climate change, according to a preliminary analysis from World Weather Attribution. This group of international scientists noted that sudden floods in Spain claimed at least 158 lives, with a total of 155 confirmed deaths in the Valencia region.
Despite not conducting a complete attribution study, scientists were able to observe that extreme one-day precipitation in the region is increasing, driven by fossil fuel emissions that warm the planet. The report indicated that rainfall in eastern Spain was 12% stronger and twice as likely compared to pre-industrial climate, which was approximately 1.3 °C cooler.
Climate change, according to experts, is the most likely explanation for these extreme downpours. The atmosphere's ability to hold more moisture as it warms leads to more intense precipitation, such as that observed in Spain. Additionally, warm Atlantic Ocean temperatures, influenced by climate change, also contributed to the magnitude of the storm.
Imperial College London researcher Ben Clarke highlighted the dangers of climate change with just 1.3 °C of warming, witnessing extreme weather events like the floods in Spain followed by a typhoon in Taiwan. Clarke emphasized the importance of nations adhering to commitments set in goals presented to the UN to limit warming to 2.6 °C.
Despite the devastation caused by the floods in Spain, search and rescue efforts continue amid uncertainty about the number of missing people. The victim estimates could rise as operations progress in the affected areas.
