Extreme Weather Events in Europe: preparing for climate change adaptation

This report is focused on providing a working-level assessment of the current state of the quantitative understanding of relevant extreme weather phenomena and their impacts. The report aims to provide a handy tool for policy makers to whom the background science may not be immediately accessible. The report starts with a description of the way in which extreme weather phenomena are characterised, in particular through the use of statistics. Subsequent chapters then describe the state of knowledge about the key extreme weather phenomena, the impacts they have and some of the broad approaches that have been taken, within sectors and at different geographic scales, to reduce these impacts through adaptation measures. In a final chapter the particular case of adaptation within European agriculture was considered. The report concludes with a summary of major findings and some broad recommendations for strengthening the information available for decision makers in Europe.