The Libyan city of Derna on 18 September, just over a week after two nearby dams collapsed and caused devastating floodsThe extreme rainfall that contributed to the failure of two dams in Libya earlier this month was probably made substantially more likely and more intense by climate change. There have been close to 4000 confirmed deaths due to the collapse of the dams, with thousands of people still missing.
Storm Daniel caused an inland dam near the coastal city of Derna, which has around 100,000 inhabitants and is situated in the north-east of Libya, to fail overnight. A second dam downstream, which was closer to Derna, then also failed, sending a sudden wave of water into the city.Storm Daniel also brought unprecedented rainfall to parts of Europe. Heavy rain in Spain caused several deaths, while Greece saw a record-breaking 760 millimetres of rain over just four days.