What have been the causes of these torrential rains and floods?
As we discussed in Heat waves and flooding in some Europe areas, why is this happening? the answered is the Omega Ξ© atmospheric pattern as shown in the geopotential map at 500hPa representing the cold (in green-yellow) and warm (in red) air masses in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
While parts of Northern Europe are experiencing heat records for this time of year (for example 32ΒΊC in Kew Gardens, UK) due to warm air blocked in high latitudes, cold air has displaced to the south generating this Mediterrane Storm Daniel in Greece (and the DANA previous weekend in Spain).
π¦ Other fundamental ingredients to explain the precipitations are the wind flow in the lower layers of the atmosphere that introduces precipitable water from the Mediterranean, which in addition is found with surface temperatures hovering around 26ΒΊC.
π¬οΈβ°οΈ In addition, this atmospheric configuration is combined with the complex orography of the region, which further favors strong storms due to the rising air on mountain slopes or wind channels in the valleys βοΈ
