The tragic flooding that hit Spain's Valencia region in late October, killing more than 200 people, was a reminder that many so-called natural disasters are, in fact, the result of extreme events enhanced by human factors.
Climate change likely drove the intense rainfall behind the floods, which was caused by a weather phenomenon called an isolated high-level depression, also known as a 'cold drop'.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that extreme precipitation has already intensified in some regions, noting that a warmer planet will experience more severe weather events.
How then can we best cope with these scenarios? Much of the answer lies in accurately understanding severe weather phenomena, reducing the prediction time for them, and effectively communicating the risk.
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