Deadly floods in Spain highlight need to cut greenhouse gas emissions

Scorching temperatures are engulfing large parts of the Northern hemisphere, while devastating floods triggered by relentless rainfall have disrupted lives and livelihoods, underscoring the urgent need for more climate action, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.

Record-breaking floods in Spain, violent storms in Florida and wildfires in South America – these are just a few examples of the extreme weather events accelerating and intensifying across the world. With the cost of inaction clearer than ever, financing for clean alternatives to the fossil fuels which are driving climate change will be top of the agenda at this year’s UN climate conference, COP29.

Floods, extreme rainfall, droughts and melting glaciers…many of the major signs of climate change involve water. On this year’s World Meteorological Day, the UN weather agency (WMO) is reinforcing the message of World Water Day, by focusing on the links between climate and water, and calling for better water-related data.