Mediterranean storms grow more intense amid rapid climate shifts

Climate change is amplifying extreme rainfall and devastating floods across the Mediterranean, with deadly storms now striking with increasing frequency and severity.

Samuel Granados reports for The New York Times.

In short:

• Autumn storms killed hundreds, with unprecedented rainfall affecting areas from Spain to Libya.
• The Mediterranean Sea, warming 20% faster than the global average, fuels stronger weather systems.
• Urbanization along vulnerable coastlines has increased the population exposed to flash floods.

Why this matters:

As warming oceans feed severe weather, regions like the Mediterranean face an escalating flood crisis that threatens lives, infrastructure and ecosystems. With populations growing in flood-prone areas, the risk of large-scale disaster is mounting despite improved early warning systems.

Read more:

• Spain faces deadly flooding disaster as Mediterranean storms intensify
• EU countries pledge to boost water-saving tech as droughts rise
• Mediterranean Sea's environmental crisis deepens, study reveals