The 2024 floods in Europe were the most devastating the continent has experienced in more than 10 years, according to a joint report from the European Climate Change Monitoring Service Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization.
The floods of 2024 were the largest since 2013, affecting 30% of Europe’s river network, with 12% of it experiencing severe flooding. Over 410,000 people in these regions were impacted by the floods, and 335 lives were lost, most of them during the October floods in Spain.
The report also emphasized the significant weather differences across the continent. Western Europe was hit hardest by the floods, while Eastern Europe faced extreme heat and drought. The year 2024 is now ranked among the top ten wettest years since the 1950s. Meanwhile, the southeastern part of Europe endured the longest heatwave, lasting 13 days.
The report noted that glacier melt in Scandinavia occurred at the fastest rate on record. Additionally, it reaffirmed earlier predictions that 2024 has become the hottest year on record globally, including across Europe. The global temperature is now 1.3°C higher than during the pre-industrial era.
