Climate change is shifting when Europe’s rivers flood
Seasonal events such as snowmelt affect when, and if, waterways overflow their banks
HIGH WATER In August 2005, severe floods hit alpine communities like this village in Tirol, Austria.
ASI/Land Tirol/BH Landeck
Across Europe, rivers aren’t flooding when they used to.
Long-term changes in temperature and precipitation are making some rivers flood days, weeks or even months earlier than they did 50 years ago, and pushing flooding in other areas much later, researchers report August 11 in Science.