The death toll continues to rise and not all of the missing have yet been found. This is the meteorological phenomenon that has affected Valencia and which could become more and more frequent due to climate change.
Streets, houses, buildings and premises flooded and destroyed, dozens missing and more than 200 dead. This is the result, so far, of monster DANA which mainly affected the Valencia region, Spain.
It is about one of the most intense weather events that the European country has had, since In just a few hours, a year’s worth of rain fell.
So much so that, as stated BBC World in some places they recorded more than 500 liters per square meter.
Structures in the area were unable to withstand as much water and quickly began to flood excessively. leaving thousands trapped at home, in shopping centers and even in parking lots.
But In addition to heavy rains, intense winds and tornadoes were recorded, which made the situation of the Valencians even worse.
What is Dana? And why did it hit eastern Spain so hard?
What is DANA, the climatic phenomenon that affected Spain
DANA is the acronym used for Isolated depression at high levels a weather phenomenon that usually brings abundant and heavy precipitation.
It is usually found in the European autumn and on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
This climatic event, also known colloquially as a “cold drop”, This is a mass of cold polar air released by a belt of winds in one of the layers of the atmosphere. and is isolated from this original flow, they explained from the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) from Spain.
SO, This mass begins to float at lower levels, generating intense rain and winds.
The situation worsens in autumn, when sea temperatures are even higher, Because the warm and humid air from the Mediterranean Sea collides with the air mass and causes strong storms.
In other words, when this polar air mixes with warm temperatures (terrestrial or marine), DANA becomes a much more destructive phenomenon.
Furthermore, as AEMET explains, the difference with an ordinary storm is that DANA can stay in one place for days or even move west.
According to Delia Gutiérrez AEMET meteorologist, in general DANAs are frequent phenomena in Spain, but they do not usually reach such intense levels : “Luckily, most of them don’t become that newsworthy,” the expert said.
The intensity of the DANA that hit Valencia
This latest DANA which caused devastation in eastern Spain was described by AEMET as “the most harmful of the century in the Valencian community. “This is a historic storm, comparable to the great Mediterranean storms and among the three most intense of the last century in the region”
According to historical documents, other DANAs have occurred in Spain with destructive consequences: for example, in 1973 this phenomenon affected Almería, Granada and Murcia.
As on this occasion, human and material losses were high.
DANA and climate change
According to experts consulted by BBC World, Climate change would make DANA phenomena more and more frequent and their effects, such as rains and floods, more and more intense.
This, because Global warming leads to an increase in ocean temperatures, an element that affects the intensity of this weather event, as it favors the conditions for DANA to become much more powerful.
A study of American Meteorological Society of 2023 showed that, since the 1960s, There is an increase in the development of DANAs globally.
Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
