What caused deadly floods in Spain? The impact of DANA explained

Andrei Khalip - Reuters - 30/10
Catastrophic flash floods that have killed at least 72 people in Spain are caused by a destructive weather system in which cold and warm air meet and produce powerful rain clouds, a pattern believed to be growing more frequent due to climate change.
  • DANA causes flash floods, hail, and tornadoes in Spain
  • Experts suspect DANA's growing frequency linked to climate change
  • Aemet: DANA is a high-altitude depression, distinct from common storms
Oct 30 (Reuters) - Catastrophic flash floods that have killed at least 72 people in Spain are caused by a destructive weather system in which cold and warm air meet and produce powerful rain clouds, a pattern believed to be growing more frequent due to climate change.
The phenomenon is known locally as DANA, a Spanish acronym for high-altitude isolated depression, and unlike common storms or squalls it can form independently of polar or subtropical jet streams.
When cold air blows over warm Mediterranean waters it causes hotter air to rise quickly and form dense, water-laden clouds that can remain over the same area for many hours, raising their destructive potential. The event sometimes provokes large hail storms and tornadoes as seen this week, meteorologists say.
Eastern and Southern Spain are particularly susceptible to the phenomenon due to its position between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Warm, humid air masses and cold fronts meet in a region where moun...
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