Extreme Weather Events: The New Normal?

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Behind every flood, storm, or heatwave lies a combination of atmospheric patterns and feedback loops. In this first chapter, Prof. Joaquim Pinto explains how high pressure systems can trap heat and dry out soils, creating intense and long lasting heatwaves, and how stationary low pressure systems can lead to torrential rains and catastrophic flooding.

You’ll learn why these events are not random, but the result of specific conditions and how climate change is shifting those conditions, making extreme events both more frequent and more severe.

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Extreme weather rarely occurs in isolation. In this chapter, discover how one event can trigger or amplify others, creating a vicious cycle with far-reaching impacts. 

Heatwaves combined with droughts devastate agriculture and forests, while floods destroy infrastructure and disrupt entire communities. Prof. Pinto explores real-world examples—from European floods to North American heatwaves—and shows how rising exposure (more people and assets in vulnerable areas) magnifies the human and economic toll.

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Preparation is possible and science is leading the way. In this final chapter, Prof. Pinto reveals how advanced climate models and  high resolution simulations help us anticipate future risks. From creating urban heat stress maps at one  meter resolution to designing flood  resilient cities, these tools are enabling policymakers, engineers, and insurers to turn scientific insights into concrete adaptation measures.

Discover how collaboration between scientists and decision makers can turn data into action, building a safer, more resilient future for us all.