How Europe suffered a year of unprecedentedly extreme weather

Across Europe and the planet, 2024 will be etched in history as the hottest year ever recorded. The relentless heatwave unleashed a cascade of extreme weather events – catastrophic floods, devastating wildfires and severe droughts – leaving communities grappling with loss.

Yet from the destruction emerged stories of resilience and lessons in preparedness that offer hope for the future. This year exemplified how the climate crisis is reshaping industries and communities.

"Natural disasters have intensified this year, signaling a global climate crisis," Efthimios Lekkas told CGTN. He's professor of Dynamic Tectonics, Applied Geology, and Natural Disaster Management at the University of Athens. "Flooding, among the most devastating, now causes greater damage over wider areas."

The summer brought chilling evidence of Europe's vulnerability. Storm Boris marked the season's beginning with torrential rains along the Danube River, killing 24 and leaving a trail of devastation across Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Hungary. Towns were submerged, crops destroyed and thousands displaced.

Yet early warnings, flood barriers, and emergency responses played a crucial role in saving lives and mitigating long-term damage.

Spain's Valencia region faced an even grimmer fate, enduring one of its deadliest flash flooding events in recent history. Over 200 people lost their lives as intense rainfall overwhelmed the city's advanced flood diversion systems.

"Floods in Central Europe and Valencia differ significantly," explained Lekkas. "Central Europe faced gradual river flooding, allowing time for warnings and evacuations. In Valencia, flash floods from intense rainfall overwhelmed drainage systems, despite advanced flood diversion measures," he added.

Wildfires and drought, once limited to Southern Europe, expanded to unexpected regions such as Poland, the Baltic nations and Slovakia. Poland endured its worst drought in decades, depleting water supplies and ravaging crops.

The Baltics and Slovakia, unaccustomed to such disasters, battled wildfires that stretched their emergency systems to the limit. Lekkas warned that water scarcity is no longer a Mediterranean issue, as erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells deplete groundwater and increase wildfire risks even in northern Europe.

As 2025 dawns, the scars of 2024 linger – record heat, floods, and wildfires have reshaped lives and livelihoods. In Egina, Greece, fishermen face quieter waters and emptier nets.

Yet their perseverance serves as a poignant reminder that in a warming world, hope and loss often coexist – and the resilience shown by communities in 2024 offers a glimmer of optimism for tackling the challenges ahead.