River floods (no further updates)

• Almost 1 500 floods have been reported for Europe since 1980, of which more than half have occurred since 2000.
• The number of very severe flood events in Europe increased over the period 1980–2010, but with large interannual variability. This increase has been attributed to better reporting, land-use changes and increased heavy precipitation in parts of Europe, but it is not currently possible to quantify the importance of these factors.
• Global warming is projected to intensify the hydrological cycle and increase the occurrence and frequency of flood events in large parts of Europe.
• Pluvial floods and flash floods, which are triggered by intense local precipitation events, are likely to become more frequent throughout Europe. In regions with projected reduced snow accumulation during winter, the risk of early spring flooding could decrease. However, quantitative projections of changes in flood frequency and magnitude remain highly uncertain.

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