Changing climate shifts timing of European floods
TU Wien · GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences · +33 more institutions
Abstract
A warming climate is expected to have an impact on the magnitude and timing of river floods; however, no consistent large-scale climate change signal in observed flood magnitudes has been identified so far. We analyzed the timing of river floods in Europe over the past five decades, using a pan-European database from 4262 observational hydrometric stations, and found clear patterns of change in flood timing. Warmer temperatures have led to earlier spring snowmelt floods throughout northeastern Europe; delayed winter storms associated with polar warming have led to later winter floods around the North Sea and some sectors of the Mediterranean coast; and earlier soil moisture maxima have led to earlier winter…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 59.29
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 34
Authors
46Topics & keywords
- Flood myth
- Flooding (psychology)
- Snowmelt
- Climatology
- Storm
- Climate change
- Environmental science
- Winter storm
- Climate action
Funding
- DDDipartimento della Protezione Civile, Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri
- ASAustrian Science FundAwards: W1219-N22, 291152, award306787, W1219
- RSRussian Science FoundationAwards: 14-17-00155, award306789
- RERegione Emilia-Romagna
- RPRegione Piemonte
- RSRegione Siciliana
- RTRegione Toscana
- PAProvincia Autonoma di Trento
- ARAdvanced Research Projects Agency
- EREuropean Research CouncilAwards: award306786, 291152
- FEFP7 EnvironmentAwards: award306788, 603587