Belgium (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Storm Boris caused record flooding in Central Europe, with over 500 mm of rain in 48 hours, resulting in evacuations, fatalities, and unusual weather patterns.
Last week, Storm Boris brought heavy rain to several countries, causing severe floods, evacuations, and unfortunately, casualties and missing individuals. VUB climate scientist Wim Thiery mentioned that this extreme weather can be seen as an unusual event. In just 48 hours, over 400 mm of rain fell, with some areas receiving 500 mm, surpassing the previous record by more than 100 mm. Storm Boris is shattering all the records.
What Causes Storm Boris’s Unusual and Devastating Flooding?
A strong low-pressure system is formed by cold air from Northern Europe mixing with warm air from the Mediterranean and Black Sea, where temperatures are 3°C to 5°C higher than usual, causing lots of moisture in the air. The water evaporates and moves in the air to Central and Eastern Europe. When it reaches mountains like in Austria near the Alps, the air goes up, makes clouds, and causes heavy rain.
The storm is stuck between two high-pressure areas due to a twisted jet stream, causing continuous heavy rain in one spot. Usually, high- and low-pressure regions move from west to east, but this situation is unusual because the low-pressure system is trapped. Belgium is lucky to be on the “good” side of the blockage, enjoying sunny weather in a high-pressure area. This means the country will experience warm days but chilly nights ahead.
