WMO highlights the importance of the Early Warning for All initiative after the devastating rains in Spain

Unprecedented rains and flash floods have devastated Spain, causing dozens of victims and economic losses. It is “the latest in a series of flood disasters that have affected communities around the world,” pointed out the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) this Thursday.

The event “underlines why the WMO community’s top priority is saving lives as climate change fuels extreme weather conditions,” the agency added.

The Valencian Community has been the most affected, with many places receiving more than 300 l/m². On October 29 and 30, a meteorological station in Chiva received 491 l/m² in just eight hours, the equivalent of a year of precipitation, according to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).

The number of fatalities now exceeds 150. Images of the event show people swept away by the water in cars and furious torrents of deadly water. Tens of thousands of Valencians have been left without electricity and transportation has been interrupted. The Spanish government declared three days of national mourning.

The AEMET, which is the official source of authorized alerts in Spain, issued numerous alerts under the Common Alert Protocol. Among them, maximum level amber and red alerts for continued torrential rains in the east and southwest of Spain. Jerez airport, in southwestern Spain, received a record 114.8 mm of rain in 24 hours on October 30.

Strengthen the Early Warning for All initiative

WMO collaborates with its members, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, to ensure that accurate and timely forecasts reach the population on time and allow prompt action. “Our primary mission is to save lives and livelihoods, and this is what drives the international initiative Early Warning for Everyone“said the organization.

Other parts of Europe have also been severely affected by flooding this year. In mid-September 2024, a large region of Central Europe experienced very heavy rainfall, breaking local and national rainfall records.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute warned of an “atmospheric river” type phenomenon that will affect the Nordic countries on October 31 and November 1.

The role of climate change

According to the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climate Changeextreme weather events that cause high-impact floods and droughts are increasingly likely and severe due to anthropogenic climate change. And this is confirmed by events.

“As a consequence of the increase in temperatures, the hydrological cycle has accelerated. It has also become more erratic and unpredictable, and we face increasing problems of excess or shortage of water. A warmer atmosphere retains more moisture, which promotes torrential rains”, declared the Secretary General of the WMO, Celeste Saulo.

The phenomenon that affected Spain – known as High Level Isolated Depression (DANA) – usually occurs during the autumn season because the surface heat left over from the summer is met with a sudden cold invasion in the air from the polar regions. This gives rise to what meteorologists used to call ”a shear system” with low pressure values ​​that persist for a few days and rotate over the affected region. It also affected the south of France.

“The presence of warm air near the surface fed by the excess humidity of the Mediterranean Sea, still hot, and the instability generated by the conflict with the cold air of the upper atmosphere give rise to large convective clouds with heavy downpours and sudden floods. sudden events,” explains the head of WMO Climate Monitoring.

“Climate change is expected to make these systems more intense due to the warming of sea waters and the increase in humidity in the atmosphere,” added Omar Baddour.

For every 1°C of warming, saturated air contains 7 to 9% more water vapor on average. This increase in atmospheric humidity increases the risk of extreme precipitation.