Storm Boris has wreaked havoc across Central and Eastern Europe over the past 4 days, unleashing catastrophic floods that have claimed at least 18 lives, displaced thousands, and left entire regions under water. Countries like Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic are battling widespread destruction as rivers overflow, bridges collapse, and emergency services struggle to manage the crisis.
Europe is experiencing a sharp weather shift following the collapse of a persistent heat dome that had brought record-breaking temperatures across the continent in early September 2024. As the heatwave subsided, parts of central Europe transitioned abruptly from extreme summer heat to unusually cold and wet conditions. Austria, for example, saw early snowfall shortly after temperatures had soared above seasonal norms. This sudden weather shift, caused by a breakdown of the high-pressure system, is now leading to prolonged rains and cold blasts in central Europe.
Cyclone Boris is forecast to drop up to 400 mm (15.7 inches) of rain to parts of central Europe over the next 3 days, prompting widespread flood warnings and emergency preparations in countries like the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany and Slovakia.
A massive rainfall event is expected to unfold over central Europe in the next few days, caused by a slow-moving upper-low fueled by the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Weather models predict parts of the region may see extreme rainfall and potentially catastrophic flooding in the days ahead.
As a prolonged heat dome collapses, signaling the end of summer, Europe is set to experience a dramatic shift in weather. Severe storms, heavy to extreme rainfall, and even early snowfalls are forecast for parts of the Mediterranean and Alpine regions in the coming days.
Southern and eastern Europe have endured a prolonged heatwave since early July, with temperatures forecast to remain high for at least another two weeks. The most intense heat was felt across the Balkan Peninsula and eastern Europe, where daily temperatures exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) in many areas. The Mediterranean Sea has also seen unprecedented warmth, with water temperatures reaching 30 °C (86 °F) in some areas.
Powerful thunderstorms swept through the western Balkans, beginning in Slovenia on July 1, 2024, and moving eastward. The storms brought strong winds, large hail and heavy rains, causing widespread destruction across Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Montenegro. Two people lost their lives.
Violent storms hit Switzerland, France, Austria, and Italy on June 29 and 30, 2024, resulting in at least seven fatalities. The storms caused flash floods, landslides, and widespread infrastructure damage, particularly impacting Switzerland and northeastern France.
Europe experienced one of the most rapid temperature flips on record in April 2024, shifting from widespread record-breaking summer-like warmth at the start of the month to late-April frost and cold temperature records. According to climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, Europe has never experienced a month with such extreme temperature contrasts.
The World Meteorological Organization confirmed a temperature of 48.8 °C (119.8 °F) in Syracuse, Sicily, on August 11, 2021, as the highest ever recorded in Europe, surpassing the previous record set in 1977.
