Portugal flood drone loopThis is Europe’s new reality: under water in winter, withered in summer. Even in Europe, where polls show citizens overwhelmingly accept climate science and support stopping planet-heating pollution, a quiet but deadly form of denial has emerged. Alice, Benjamin and Claudia were the storms named by meteorologists that started the season in southern Europe in October and November. As water pounds sodden soils that have not had time to dry out, the risk of floods increases exponentially. As losses mount, climate scientists warn that “every fraction of a degree” of warming still matters.

Source: The Guardian February 21, 2026 06:06 UTC