During the winter half-year of 2023/2024, western Europe experienced a series of damaging storms. These storms led to disruptions and the associated precipitation caused exacerbated flood risks.
In October 2023, County Cork was struck by two days of extreme rainfall from Storm Babet that fell on already saturated soils. Swollen rivers led to severe flooding in Midleton.
Under the influence of a lingering anticyclone, Fennoscandia experienced extremely cold winter temperatures during early January 2024.
In late November, countries bordering the Black Sea including Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Türkiye and Russia, witnessed exceptionally high rainfall and snowfall, and hurricane-force winds due to Storm Bettina.
During the first two weeks of September 2023 torrential rain fell in several countries across the Mediterranean, caused by low-pressure systems forming around a blocking high centred over the Netherlands.