Climate change could spell the end for beaches at European hot-spot
Coastal erosion is severely impacting Montgat, a town north of Barcelona, threatening its beaches and summer tourism.
The erosion is primarily caused by climate change, leading to more intense storms and significant sea level rise.
Man-made beaches, developed for tourism after the 1992 Olympics, are eroding at an accelerated rate compared to natural coastlines.
Authorities recognise that simply replenishing sand is insufficient, advocating for structural solutions like breakwaters to prevent further loss.
Scientists report that sea levels along the Catalan coast are four times higher than three decades ago, with an estimated 60 million euros needed to stabilise the metropolitan coastline.
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The Sun
37 minutes ago
- The Sun
Brit couple on holiday in Spain swept to their deaths by ‘massive wall of water' that rushed through gorge
A YOUNG couple drowned in flash floods while hiking after a "massive wall of water" appeared within "seconds", an inquest heard. Alexander Barrett, 32, and Sarah Thompson, 26, were on holiday in Majorca with a group of friends when tragedy struck on September 3, last year. 3 3 Climbing instructor and lifeguard Alexander tried to help his girlfriend as a "wall of water" came crashing down the canyon they were walking with other hikers, Stockport Coroner's Court heard. The couple, from Offerton, near Stockport in Manchester, were swept away. Spanish rescue teams discovered Sarah's body the following day. Specialist officers located Alexander's on September 6, in the Torrent de Pareis canyon, in the Tramuntana mountains. At the inquest, Sarah's devastated father Peter Thompson, said his daughter "was never without a smile on her face". And Alexander's heartbroken dad, Paul Rodman, told how his son "loved life". Paying tribute, he said: "He was genuinely a good person, a caring person, a kind person. "The friends and family have developed a little saying, 'Be more like Alex' because that's what we aspire to be. "He's missed so much by all his friends and family." Alexander's friend Luke Weaver, who was on the trip with the tragic couple said: "We all had a mutual passion for climbing and hiking." Bank boss & dad-of-three, 43, drops dead after repeatedly scaling mountain six times in crazy 'EVERESTING' challenge He told the inquest how the group had planned a three hour expedition, which was known to be "challenging in places". Mr Weaver had already completed the route several times, but neither Alexander nor Sarah had. The fellow climbing instructor, who had worked with Alexander, said he checked weather predictions in the morning. He knew the gorge had flooded, but the forecast only showed rain hitting at 6pm, by which time they'd no longer be in the area. "Had I known what was to happen, I would never have let them into the gorge," Mr Weaver added. The hiker dropped the group off by car, but was delayed in joining them due to hitting traffic while trying to park. He noticed it starting to rain at around 2.30pm but became concerned when a storm moved in shortly after. Mr Weaver said he saw his friends, who were now with a German couple and two Spanish nationals, in a "bottleneck" between two boulders. "At this point the heavens opened," he said. "At this time the water was flowing like a small river." He went to help the group and asked Sarah if she was "OK" and she replied yes but with a "nervous smile". "Seconds later a massive wall of water came down the gorge," Mr Weaver said. "The water appeared to come from nowhere. The sound was incredibly loud, people were screaming." Mr Weaver told the inquest he saw one person clinging onto a rock, but one of the Spanish nationals had been swept away. His partner managed to get out of the water and after a few minutes others emerged gasping for air above the surface. Survivors were airlifted out of the gorge by helicopter, suffering only minor injuries. But Alexander and Sarah had been taken by the current, the inquest heard. Mr Weaver added: "Everyone who survived that day is incredibly lucky, especially those who got caught in the water. "I have never experienced anything like this and it is something I will never forget." Post-mortem examinations gave the cause of death as drowning for both of the deceased. Jyoti Gill, assistant coroner for Manchester South, recorded a verdict of accidental death caused by drowning for the couple. "It appears water dragged Sarah, and Alex had tried to help her," Ms Gill concluded. "Sadly, both Sarah and Alex were unable to climb to safety and were swept away by the floodwaters," she added. Sarah had represented Cumbria at fell running in national competitions. She earned a degree in photography from Manchester Metropolitan University, and had recently been promoted in the donations team at The Christie hospital in Manchester.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Pakistan's deadly monsoon floods were worsened by global warming, study finds
Heavy rainfall that triggered floods in Pakistan in recent weeks, killing hundreds of people, was worsened by human-caused climate change, according to a new study. The study by World Weather Attribution, a group of international scientists who study global warming's role in extreme weather, found that rainfall from June 24 to July 23 in the South Asian nation was 10% to 15% heavier because of climate change, leading to many building collapses in urban and rural Pakistan. Pakistan's government has reported at least 300 deaths and 1,600 damaged houses due to the floods, heavy rain and other weather since June 26. Saqib Hassan, a 50-year-old businessman in northern Pakistan, said flooding on July 22 destroyed his home and 18 of his relatives' homes, along with their dairy farms. His farm animals were washed away, resulting in heavy losses — likely 100 million rupees ($360,000) — for him and his family. Last-minute announcements from a nearby mosque were the only warning they got to evacuate their homes in the small town of Sarwarabad and get to higher ground. 'We are homeless now. Our houses have been destroyed. All the government has given us is food rations worth 50,000 rupees ($177) and seven tents, where we've been living for the past two weeks,' Hassan told The Associated Press over the phone. Heavy rains cause series of disasters High temperatures and intense precipitation worsened by global warming have accelerated the pace of recent extreme weather events faster than climate experts expected, said Islamabad-based climate scientist Jakob Steiner, who was not part of the WWA study. 'In the last few weeks, we have been scrambling to look at the number of events, not just in Pakistan, but in the South Asian region that have baffled us," he said. "Many events we projected to happen in 2050 have happened in 2025, as temperatures this summer, yet again, have been far above the average,' said Steiner, a geoscientist with the University of Graz, Austria, who studies water resources and associated risks in mountain regions. Heavy monsoon rains have resulted in a series of disasters that have battered South Asia, especially the Himalayan mountains, which span across five countries, in the last few months. Overflowing glacial lakes resulted in flooding that washed away a key bridge connecting Nepal and China, along with several hydropower dams in July. Earlier this week, a village in northern India was hit by floods and landslides, killing at least four people and leaving hundreds missing. The authors of the WWA study, which was released early Thursday, said that the rainfall they analyzed in Pakistan shows that climate change is making floods more dangerous. Climate scientists have found that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which can make rain more intense. 'Every tenth of a degree of warming will lead to heavier monsoon rainfall, highlighting why a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is so urgent,' said Mariam Zachariah, a researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London and lead author of the WWA study. Extreme weather's impact on Pakistan Even though Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of planet-heating gases in the atmosphere, research shows that it incurs an outsized amount of damage from extreme weather. Pakistan witnessed its most devastating monsoon season in 2022, with floods that killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage. According to the United Nations, global funds set up to deal with loss and damages because of climate change or funds set up to adapt to climate change are falling well short of the amounts needed to help countries like Pakistan deal with climate impacts. The U.N. warns that its loss and damage fund only holds a fraction of what's needed to address yearly economic damage related to human-caused climate change. Similarly, U.N. reports state that developed countries such as the United States and European nations, which are responsible for the largest chunk of planet-heating gases in the atmosphere, are providing far less than what's needed in adaptation financing. These funds could help improve housing and infrastructure in areas vulnerable to flooding. The WWA report says much of Pakistan's fast-growing urban population lives in makeshift homes, often in flood-prone areas. The collapsing of homes was the leading cause of the 300 deaths cited in the report, responsible for more than half. 'Half of Pakistan's urban population lives in fragile settlements where floods collapse homes and cost lives,' said Maja Vahlberg of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, who also helped author the WWA report, in a press statement. "Building flood-resilient houses and avoiding construction in flood zones will help reduce the impacts of heavy monsoon rain." ___ Arasu reported from Bengaluru, India. ___ ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Times
5 hours ago
- Times
France wildfires: Woman dies and thousands flee ‘hellish' destruction
F rance's biggest wildfire in nearly 50 years has scorched an area larger than Paris in the southern department of Aude, leaving a woman dead and forcing thousands of residents to flee. About 2,000 firefighters tackled the blaze with the help of water-bombing aircraft, but officials said it was still out of control and spreading fast on Wednesday evening. Jacques Piraux, the mayor of Jonquières, said that 80 per cent of his village was burnt. 'It looks like a lunar landscape. It's hellish,' he said. The village and several campsites were evacuated. OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES François Bayrou, the prime minister, who visited the scene with Bruno Retailleau, the interior minister, said: 'It's a catastrophe of an unprecedented scale. This is a time when climate change is causing events the likes of which we've never seen before.'
