Flash floods on dry ground around the world follow record heatwaves

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🗞️ Driving the news: Flash floods, following a season of record heatwaves, have intensified globally due to high temperatures reducing the ground's capacity to absorb water
• Notably, Hong Kong, Europe, and Japan saw exceptional rainfall and flooding incidents

🔭 The context: Historically, periods of intense rainfall and high temperatures have occurred, but recent events showcase an unprecedented scale of flooding in certain regions
• In Greece, Larissa and Volos experienced what amounted to a year's worth of rainfall in just 24 hours

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: Rising temperatures, as reported by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, are intensifying rainfall and flood events
• The warmer conditions dry the ground, hindering moisture absorption, and boosting runoff, showcasing climate change's direct effects on global weather and disasters

⏭️ What's next: If current trends persist, we may see more frequent and intense rainfall and floods, emphasizing the urgent need for global climate action and local preparedness to address the escalating impacts of climate change

💬 One quote: “Heavy precipitation will generally become more frequent and more intense with additional global warming” (Carlo Buontempo, Copernicus director)

📈 One stat: The period of June to August this year was the hottest on record with an average temperature of 16.77 degrees, which is 0.66 degrees higher than the 1990-2020 average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service

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