Scientists warn that these types of extreme weather events will affect countries around the world and could become increasingly common as the climate crisis intensifies.
Heavy rains cause severe flooding in Greece. Photo: CNN
“Global warming is really changing the characteristics of the rainy season in terms of frequency, intensity and duration,” said Jung-Eun Chu, an atmospheric and climate scientist at the City University of Hong Kong, adding that this summer’s devastation was due to a combination of factors, including natural climate variability.
The huge toll from the floods also highlights the urgent need for governments to prepare for this new reality. “Governments have to be ready,” said Ms Chu. “They have to start thinking about it, because they have never experienced extreme events like this before.”
One of the worst storms in Europe
This month, parts of the Mediterranean were hit by Hurricane Daniel. The storm was the result of a very strong low-pressure system, becoming a relatively rare type of storm with characteristics similar to hurricanes and typhoons that can bring dangerous rainfall and flooding.
The storm, which formed on September 5, hit Greece first, dumping more rain than it typically sees all year. Streets turned into rivers, submerging villages.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at least 15 people had died, calling it “one of the strongest storms ever to hit Europe”.
Greek Environment Minister Theodoros Skylakakis told CNN on Tuesday that the flooding that followed devastating wildfires in the country was evidence “of climate change.” “We had the hottest summer in history. The sea water was very warm, which led to this meteorological event,” he said.
Neighboring Türkiye has also felt the impact, with at least seven people killed in the rains. Severe flooding has also hit Bulgaria, killing at least four people.
Elsewhere in Europe, Storm Dana has dumped heavy rain across Spain, damaging homes and killing at least three people.
Devastation in Libya
So far, the most devastating impact has been felt in Libya, as Storm Daniel moved across the Mediterranean, gaining strength from the sea's unusually warm waters, before dumping heavy rain on the country's northeast.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the catastrophic rainfall caused two dams to burst, creating a 7-meter-high wave that rushed toward the coastal city of Derna, wiping out entire neighborhoods and sweeping many homes into the sea.
More than 11,000 people were killed and at least 10,000 others remain missing, with many believed to have been swept out to sea or buried under rubble, according to the United Nations.
Floods swept away a large area in the city of Derna, Libya. Photo: Planet
As the country reels and search and rescue operations continue, experts say the scale of the disaster has grown exponentially due to a combination of factors including crumbling infrastructure, inadequate warnings and the impact of the growing climate crisis.
Libya has been ravaged by a civil war and political stalemate for nearly a decade, with the country divided between two governments since 2014.
Experts say the fragmentation has left the country unprepared for flooding and could hamper the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid.
“Globally, climate change is making these extreme weather events more frequent and intense, making it harder for communities to cope and rebuild, especially in conflict-affected areas,” said Ciaran Donnelly, senior vice president of crisis response, recovery and development at the International Rescue Committee.
Storms in Asia
Although the scale of destruction and loss of life in Asia was smaller, it also recorded unprecedented deadly storms.
Two typhoons, Saola and Haikui, passed through the region just days apart in the first week of September, causing widespread damage in Taiwan, Hong Kong and other areas in southern China, including Shenzhen.
According to the Hong Kong government, the typhoon brought the highest hourly rainfall since 1884. In Taiwan, Typhoon Haikui left tens of thousands of homes without power and more than 7,000 residents evacuated.
The twin storms are a “special case” that sets the stage for an unusually severe storm next week, Ms Chu said. The storms are carrying two slow-moving, moisture-laden air masses moving in different directions, colliding and dumping heavy rain on Hong Kong.
“If it was just one storm, it wouldn’t have brought this much rain,” she said, adding that while the event was not explicitly linked to climate change, human-caused global warming is contributing to stronger storms.
“If the climate warms, if the ocean surface gets warmer, the atmosphere can hold more moisture,” she said. “If the temperature increases by 1 degree Celsius, the atmosphere can hold 7% more moisture.”
Heavy rain in America
Parts of the Americas have also been hit by flooding. Brazil recorded more than 30 deaths last week after heavy rains and flooding in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the worst natural disaster to hit the state in 40 years, according to CNN Brasil.
Brazilian meteorologist Maria Clara Sassaki told CNN Brasil that in one week, the state received the equivalent of the entire month of September on average.
Meanwhile in the US, the Burning Man festival has made headlines around the world after heavy rain hit the area, with tens of thousands of attendees told to conserve food and water as they became stranded in the Nevada desert.
Flooding in Massachusetts has damaged hundreds of homes, businesses and infrastructure including bridges, dams and railways. Parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire have received more than 300 percent more rainfall than normal over the past two weeks, according to weather service data.
Quoc Thien (according to CNN)
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