Extreme weather harms human health, nature and the economy. Over the last few decades, Europe has witnessed more extreme weather events; from droughts, heatwaves and forest fires to violent storms and flash flooding.  

While no single extreme weather event can be blamed solely on climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes it clear: human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are very likely to have made weather and climate extremes more frequent and intense. And this dangerous trend is set to continue. Our continent is warming faster than any other in the world. 

When these events hit, we see that disinformation also spreads like wildfire, with some actors trying to downplay or deny the role of climate change. So where does the truth lie? Here are 5 facts about extreme weather and its links to climate change: 

1. Extreme weather is not new, but climate change is making it more frequent and intense 

It goes without saying that we have always experienced heatwaves, storms, rain and drought – these events are nothing new. But climate change is changing these patterns. Extreme weather events are happening more often and hitting harder than just a few decades ago. Global temperatures have risen faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period over at least the last 2000 years. 2011-2020 was the warmest full decade recorded, with global average temperatures reaching 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels in 2019. Nearly every year since then has broken a new record as the hottest year.  

In Europe, the pace of warming has been even sharper. Heatwaves are intensifying, and the number of days with at least ‘strong heat stress’ are becoming more and more common. According to the IPCC, hot extremes that used to strike once a decade now happen nearly three times as often and are 1.2˚C hotter. The result is that heat-related deaths in Europe have surged by around 30% in the past 20 years. The European Environmental Agency (EEA) warns that heat extremes are expected to rise even faster than average temperatures.  

Rainfall patterns are also changing. Warmer air holds more moisture - about 7% more for every degree Celsius – and this fuels more intense storms. Storms now drop up to 40% more rainfall than they would without climate change. Rainfall intensity has jumped by 22% in Europe over the last 50 years, driving up the risk of flash floods in vulnerable regions.  

Climate change is also disrupting the water cycle, making it harder to manage our water. As the water cycle becomes more unstable, we risk running out of water—demand could be 40% higher than supply by 2030 if we don’t act. 

Meanwhile, climate change is amplifying other risks. Wildfires, whether sparked by people (accidentally or deliberately) or natural events like lightning, are now burning hotter, faster, and longer. Drier forests and prolonged droughts make them harder to contain, and they can also be exacerbated by inappropriate land management. Globally, wildfire seasons are starting earlier and lasting about two weeks longer than they did 30 years ago. Even regions like northern Europe and the Arctic are seeing unprecedented fire activity. And the threat is growing — climate change is expected to increase wildfire risk across nearly all of Europe, requiring significant emergency response and preparedness actions at the EU level.  

2. Climate change results in all forms of extreme weather

Earth’s climate system is complex; so are our natural and built environments. Climate change doesn’t play out evenly across the planet. Even as the planet warms overall, the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has different effects in different places.   

Some areas are facing longer, harsher droughts, while others experience more intense rainfall and flooding. Some parts of Europe are being hit by both. In northern Europe, annual rainfall and heavy rainfall are projected to rise, with droughts becoming less frequent. Central Europe, in contrast, must anticipate drier summers and more extreme weather events such as heavier rain, river floods, droughts and wildfires. Southern Europe is expected to become even drier, with declining annual and summer rainfall and more frequent droughts and fires.

And cold weather? It hasn’t disappeared and it is not evidence against global warming, but the average number of cold days and instances of extreme cold have decreased and will continue to do so. Still, paradoxically, climate change can intensify certain cold extremes – for example stronger blizzards may occur in regions where cold Arctic air masses clash with unusually warm ocean surface temperatures, as the IPCC has highlighted.  

3. Extreme weather puts resilience, prosperity and competitiveness at risk 

More frequent and severe extreme weather is putting Europe’s economy, infrastructure and social fabric under growing pressure.  

In the last 50 years in Europe, forest area more than twice the size of Portugal has been destroyed by fires and more than 246,000 people have lost their lives due to extreme climate-related weather events.  

The economic toll is rising fast. Between 1980 and the end of 2023, the 27 EU Member States have experienced more than €738 billion in losses from these kinds of events, while flooding over this period has cost the EU over €325 billion. As well as damaging infrastructure and homes, the supply and quality of water can be seriously impacted, with devastating consequences felt across society, the economy and the environment. Scientists from the IPCC warn that climate change is highly likely to strain key infrastructure systems, from transport to energy to water, with disruptions that ripple across border and economies. 

The impacts of extreme weather events on energy systems are especially concerning because they are felt across the entire economy. For instance, in January 2025 Storm Éowyn caused extensive damage to Ireland’s electricity infrastructure, resulting in 768,000 homes, farms and businesses losing power supply. 

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It’s not just storms. Droughts and heatwaves are also testing energy systems. For example, in recent years low water flows and soaring river temperatures in France led to temporary shutdowns of nuclear facilities, as the possibility of discharging part of the plants’ waste heat into the water was strongly limited. As temperatures rise, these challenges will only grow. In addition, forest fires, sometimes exacerbated by heatwaves, may cause damage to power lines and provoke incidents.  

Power outages are more than just an inconvenience. They cost billions in lost business hours, disrupted banking, transport and communications, not to mention supply chains, the cost of emergency response and spoiled perishable goods. For example, the 2005 blackout in Sweden, caused by a severe storm, led to significant disruptions in the grid affecting around 730,000 customers, with estimates of direct and indirect economic losses of €3 billion.   

Beyond infrastructure, extreme weather also poses a threat to health and can reduce productivity. Rising temperatures and intensifying heatwaves could drive up summer heat-related mortality, but also change human and animal disease patterns and plant pests. Hotter temperatures, changes in rainfall and sea-level rise will also impact sectors like agriculture, forestry and tourism, which depend on stable climate conditions.  

The European Climate Risk Assessment makes it clear: climate impacts threaten food and water security, energy stability and financial systems and everyone’s health. This in turn puts social cohesion and stability at risk. 

4. Building resilience and improving preparedness are key to minimising loss and damages 

Reducing emissions is critical to limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The EU’s European Climate Law enshrines the goal of EU climate neutrality by 2050 in legislation and sets an interim target of a net 55% emission reduction by 2030. The transition to net zero will help stabilise temperatures and curb the increasing trends in extreme weather. 

Still, increasingly severe and frequent extreme weather is already disrupting lives across Europe. While some climate impacts are now unavoidable, their consequences can be reduced through better resilience and preparedness.  

More ambitious action in these fields is essential to protecting people, prosperity and long-term stability. Building resilience to extreme weather is not optional – it’s fundamental to improving wellbeing and living standards, tackling inequality, safeguarding livelihoods, and securing financial stability and competitiveness.  

Resilience can take many forms: from drought-resistant crops and diversified energy systems, to improved early warning tools and climate-smart urban planning. Many of these are “no-regret” solutions, offering economic, social and environmental benefits regardless of how the climate evolves.  

The EU’s collective strength is a key asset in building resilience. The EU Adaptation Strategy drives action across all EU policies to enhance climate preparedness, support national adaptation actions, and scale up international climate resilience efforts. The EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change supports regions, cities and local authorities in their efforts to build resilience against the impacts of climate change, backed by funding from Horizon Europe, the EU’s Research and Innovation programme. 

To strengthen these policies further, the Commission will present an ambitious policy package for climate resilience and better climate risk management during the second half of 2026. 

In the energy sector, the revision of the energy security framework for gas and electricity, which includes provisions to address risks from natural and extreme weather events, will seek to enhance resilience against climate risks. The Regulation on Trans-European Networks for Energy also stresses the importance of strengthening the efforts on climate adaptation and mitigation, building resilience and on disaster prevention and preparedness. 

The European Water Resilience Strategy, aims to make our society, environment and economy more resilient to the changing climate. To best promote water security, we must build a water-smart economy that uses and reuses water efficiently, and expand access to water and sanitation to everyone. The flood risk areas viewer and European Flood Awareness System help raise awareness and support preparatory measures for major flooding events. 

5. Nature-based solutions can help us protect ourselves from extreme weather 

While you might immediately think of flood defences, sea walls and storm resilient buildings when you think about protecting ourselves and our homes from extreme weather, nature has an important role to play too.  

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are actions inspired and supported by nature. They help build resilience while providing environmental, social and economic benefits and remaining very cost-effective.  

Solutions like planting more trees, protecting and restoring ecosystems and managing farmland more sustainably can also help cut carbon emissions.  

They are a key part of the EU’s Water Resilience and Biodiversity Strategies. These solutions include restoring rivers and wetlands, creating sponge landscapes with water-absorbing plants, and treating pollution more effectively. Actions like soil restoration and removing river barriers help hold more water in the environment, making communities more resilient to extreme weather. 

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The EU supports projects like City Blues and AQUARES, which focus on improving water management. Constructed wetlands, retention ponds, and floodplain meadows can help prevent floods and reduce damage from heavy rainfall.   

Other EU funded projects, like Urban GreenUp, promote solutions such as green roofs and shaded green spaces to cool down cities in summer. The measures harness nature to reduce temperatures and increase humidity, lowering the risk from heatwaves and drought.  

Know the facts, trust the science, act with purpose 

Extreme weather is not just bad luck — it’s a clear warning signal in a climate that’s rapidly changing. Disinformation may try to downplay or distract from the truth, but the science is solid: climate change is making weather events more frequent, more intense and more costly. 

The good news? We are not powerless. With accurate information, coordinated action, and the right investments – especially in resilience, clean energy, and nature-based solutions – we can reduce risks, protect lives and build a stronger, safer future.