Trends in extreme weather events in Europe: implications for national and European Union adaptation strategies

Hov, Øystein and Cubasch, Ulrich and Fischer, Erich and Höppe, Peter and Iversen, Trond and Kvamstø, Nils Gunnar and W. Kundzewicz, Zbigniew and Rezacova, Daniela and Rios, David and Duarte Santos, Filipe and Schädler, Bruno and Veisz, Ottó Bálint and Zerefos, Christos and Benestad, Rasmus and Norton, Mike and Murlis, John (2013) Trends in extreme weather events in Europe: implications for national and European Union adaptation strategies. Project Report. German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Halle (Saale).

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Abstract

This report, based on a comprehensive collection of scientific data from the last 20 years, provides a rallying call for Europe’s policy makers to come together to devise common strategies to help mitigate the physical, human and economic costs of the rising number of extreme weather events in Europe, such as extreme heat and cold, extremes of precipitation, storms, winds and surges, and drought. Highlights refer to the nature of the evidence for climate-driven changes in extreme weather in the past, the potential impact of further climate change in altering the pattern of these extremes, and possible adaptation strategies for dealing with extreme weather impacts. It first provides information on extreme weather events and trends in recent decades as well as related impacts upon society. It is followed by an introduction to the scientific background on global warming and weather extremes, and the projections of future trends of meteorological extreme events that emerge from climate models under various scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, approaches to adaptation are introduced and recommendations provided. Readers wishing to obtain full source details for the figures, tables and references are recommended to consult the full report, which also includes more detailed analyses of the climatic conditions in various sub-regions of the EU.

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