European Rainstorms May 2016

The report analyzes severe May 2016 rainstorms in Europe, finding that climate change significantly increased the probability of extreme 3-day rainfall in France's Seine and Loire basins, while results for southern Germany remained inconclusive.

• In France, global warming increased the probability of extreme 3-day rainfall during the April-June season by at least 40%. The best estimates indicate the likelihood increased by approximately 80% for the Seine River Basin and 90% for the Loire River Basin.
• The May 2016 rainfall event in France was historically exceptional; the Paris-Montsouris station recorded 179 mm (7 inches), and Orleans recorded 181 mm (7.1 inches), both representing roughly three months of precipitation in a single month.
• The flooding in France was unusual in its timing, as most previous floods in the Seine and Loire basins occurred in winter. The Seine peaked at 6.1 meters (20 feet) above normal on June 3rd, marking a 34-year high.
• Attribution results for southern Germany were inconclusive because the observed trend of heavy 1-day precipitation was significantly negative, while the climate model that correctly simulated the distribution showed a significant positive trend.
• The severe weather period caused widespread devastation across Europe, including at least 18 deaths in Germany, France, Romania, and Belgium, and damages exceeding one billion Euros in France alone.

APA

World Weather Attribution (2016). European Rainstorms May 2016. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/european-rainstorms-may-2016/

Chicago

World Weather Attribution. European Rainstorms May 2016. 2016. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/european-rainstorms-may-2016/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Weather Attribution |title=European Rainstorms May 2016 |date=9 June 2016 |url=https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/european-rainstorms-may-2016/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldweatherattribution2016european, author = {{World Weather Attribution}}, title = {{European Rainstorms May 2016}}, institution = {World Weather Attribution}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/european-rainstorms-may-2016/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }