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The ocean is warming about 50 percent faster than reported 2 years ago, near the worst-case predictions of the 2007 report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The heavy rain & severe flooding paralyses central Europe: houses were swept away by rising floodwaters. In England and Wales, around 5 million people in 2 million properties live in flood risk areas.

Rising ocean temperatures near worst-case predictions

The ocean is warming about 50 per cent faster than reported two years ago, according to an update of the latest climate science. A report compiling research presented at a science congress in Copenhagen in March says recent observations are near the worst-case predictions of the 2007 report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In the case of sea-level rise, it is happening at an even greater rate than projected - largely due to rising ocean temperatures causing thermal expansion of seawater.

Heavy Rains Trigger Flooding in Central Europe

Heavy rainfall across the central European region from resulted in severely widespread flooding paralyses central Europe. Six countries significantly affected: the Czech Republic and Austria being the most severely hit. "So far, at least 10 people have been killed by the flooding." In the Czech Republic, hundreds of homes have been flooded in the Moravo-Silesian Region located in east Moravia and south Moravia. Homes have also been left badly damaged across Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Burgenland and Styria in Austria.

Heavy flooding hits Europe

Footage from the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary shows devastation caused by severe flooding in the region. Emergency services have evacuated hundreds of people in the Czech Republic as houses were swept away by rising floodwaters. At least six people have died in severe flooding in the Czech Republic where a state of emergency has been declared in the east of the country. In northern parts of Austria several villages have been left isolated by severe flooding, following heavy rainfall. Meanwhile in Hungary alerts are in place for the upper section of the Danube.

Global Warming Effect 7: Storms and Floods

Experts use climate models to project the impact rising global temperatures will have on precipitation. However, no modeling is needed to see that severe storms are happening more frequently: In just 30 years the occurrence of the strongest hurricanes -- categories 4 and 5 -- has nearly doubled [source: An Inconvenient Truth]. Warm waters give hurricanes their strength, and scientists are correlating the increase in ocean and atmospheric temperatures to the rate of violent storms. During the last few years, both the United States and Britain have experienced extreme storms and flooding, costing lives and billions of dollars in damages. Between 1905 and 2005 the frequency of hurricanes has been on a steady ascent. From 1905 to 1930, there were an average of 3.5 hurricanes per year; 5.1 between 1931 and 1994; and 8.4 between 1995 and 2005 [source: USA Today]. In 2005, a record number of tropical storms developed, and in 2007, the worst flooding in 60 years hit Britain [sources: Reuters, Center for American Progress].

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Original Source: The Age, Insurance Journal, BBC News and HowStuffWorks