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The UN weather agency is highlighting the importance of early warning systems for all corners of the planet and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe flooding that we\u2019re seeing in Spain is just one of many, many, many, extreme weather and water-related disasters that have been taking place around the world this year. Almost every week we\u2019re seeing such shocking images<\/strong>,\u201d spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists in Geneva.\u00a0<\/p>\n More than 150 people have been killed in Spain, where a massive search and rescue operation is ongoing even as the rains continue.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Valencia region was worst affected, and \u201csome areas received more than the equivalent of a year’s amount of rainfall in the space of eight hours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s meteorological and hydrological service, AEMET, has been issuing constant advisories and alerts throughout the week via the common alerting protocol, she said, referring to the standardized message format for all media, all hazards, and all communication channels.<\/p>\n A red alert \u2013 the top level \u2013 was issued on Friday in the southwest province of Huelva, \u201cso, unfortunately, this episode is not finished yet<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n Ms. Nullis recalled that other areas in Europe have been badly affected by floods this year. In mid-September, parts of Central Europe experienced very heavy rainfall, breaking local and national records.<\/p>\n \u201cAccording to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, extreme weather events causing highly impactful floods and droughts have become more likely and more severe due to anthropogenic climate change,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She pointed to WMO\u2019s recently released report on the State of Global Water Resources. Commenting at the time, the agency\u2019s chief, Celeste Saulo, said that the hydrological cycle has accelerated due to rising temperatures.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As a result, the world is facing growing problems of either too much or too little water. Furthermore, a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which is conducive to heavy rainfall.<\/p>\n Ms. Nullis said this is what is happening in Spain.<\/p>\nLives lost as rains continue<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Extreme weather increasing<\/strong><\/h2>\n