Historic Flooding in Spain’s Valencia Region Highlights Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Ocean Heat and Extreme Weather
Spain's Valencia region faced catastrophic flooding due to record-setting torrential rains, resulting in at least 95 deaths and massive damage to infrastructure and homes. Rainfall totals reached a staggering 20 inches (500 mm) in some areas equivalent to the region's usual annual total.
This devastating event was fueled by a low-pressure system that drew on an atmospheric river carrying high moisture levels from the unseasonably warm Tropical Atlantic. According to the Climate Shift Index: Ocean (CSI: Ocean), the unusually high sea surface temperatures were made up to 300 times more likely due to human-caused climate change.
How Climate Change is Amplifying Ocean Heat
The Climate Shift Index: Ocean, a tool grounded in peer-reviewed science and reliable data, evaluates the extent ...