María Jesús Romero Aloy

Human-induced climate change amplified the intensity and extent of the rainfall that affected Valencia during the October 2024 dana, according to a new attribution study involving several Spanish research centres. Using climate simulations, the study, published in Nature Communications, shows that present-day global warming conditions increased precipitation intensity by 21 %, expanded the area receiving more than 180 millimetres of rain by 56 %, and raised the total rainfall volume in the Júcar River basin by 19 % compared to a pre-industrial scenario. The authors highlight “the urgent need for effective adaptation strategies and improved urban planning to reduce the growing risks associated with extreme hydrometeorological events in a rapidly warming world.”

In Valencian municipalities such as Chiva, buildings have collapsed, and in Paiporta there have been evacuations due to the risk of collapse following the passage of the DANA on Tuesday 29 October. What risks do the buildings that withstood the flood present? What measures should be taken in the short, medium and long term?