Europe experienced its most widespread flooding in more than ten years in 2024, according to a report released Tuesday by the EU’s climate change monitoring agency. Nearly one-third of the continent’s river systems rose to dangerous levels, triggering widespread inundation.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, in collaboration with the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), reported that massive flooding struck large areas across the continent, with the worst impacts felt in Valencia, Spain, and throughout central and eastern Europe.
These floods unfolded during what became the hottest year on record globally, highlighting the increasing risks climate change poses to Europe. The report emphasizes that rising global temperatures, driven by human activity, are intensifying extreme weather events like storms and flooding.
In 2024 alone, storms and floods claimed the lives of more than 300 people across Europe, affected over 413,000 others, and caused at least €18 billion ($20.5 billion) in economic losses.
About 30% of Europe’s river network flooded, marking one of the 10 wettest years since 1950. “Europe saw the most widespread flooding since 2013,” said Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which oversees Copernicus.
One of the most severe events occurred in September, when Storm Boris dumped up to three months’ worth of rain in just five days across eight countries in central and eastern Europe. Then in October, unusually warm and humid air from the Mediterranean fueled powerful storms over Spain, leading to devastating floods in the eastern province of Valencia.
While most of western Europe saw above-average rainfall throughout the year, the eastern regions were generally drier and warmer.
