Guwahati News Desk: The western European countries have been witnessing devastating flash floods due to intense rainfalls, and this has caused the deaths of more than 120 people and many others are still missing.
In the past few days, these flash floods have caused great havoc in the countries of western Europe, including the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, where about 43 people and 60 people have been killed, respectively.
In the district of Ahrweiler, about 1,300 people are estimated to be missing and around 3,500 are undergoing treatment in care facilities.
Germany’s Ministry of Defence has issued a military disaster alert on Friday, deploying more than 850 soldiers for the rescue work and the number is being increased.
Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, has declared 20th July a national day of mourning, for the victims who lost their lives in the severe floods.
In Germany, the death toll now stands at over 100 and there, the Chancellor Angela Merkel, has called for a determined battle against climate change.
The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland have also been affected by the floods.
Many factors have contributed to the recent flooding, but the warming atmosphere caused by climate change has made extreme rainfall more likely. Infact, the world has already warmed by about 1.2 °C since the industrial era began and temperatures will continue to rise unless the governments around the world realize to make steep cuts to emissions.
In this regards, the scientists have condemned politicians for failing to protect their citizens from extreme weather events, because in spite of their predictions year after year, that summer rainfall and heatwaves would become more intense due to human-induced climate change, no one took them seriously.
Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading, said, “The deaths and destruction across Europe as a result of flooding is a tragedy that should have been avoided.”
Photo | Representative Image