MOVE - Methods for the Improvement of Vulnerability Assessment in Europe | Umweltbundesamt

"The summer 2003 in Europe was by far the hottest since 1500 AD (Luterbacher et al., 2004) and it seems that heat waves will become more intense, longer lasting, and or more frequent in future warmer climates (Luber & McGeehin, 2008, Meehl & Tebaldi, 2004). Another impact affected the power trade market. Several power plants had to reduce outputs due to lack of cooling water. In the eastern border of the Netherlands where the Rhine reached the temperature of 23 °C (Fink et al 2004). In August the lowest discharges at Cologne since 1930 were observed: the minimum water level at Cologne in September 2003 was 81 cm, the lowest gauge height on record (Fink et al 2004). Importantly, glacier melt prevented even lower water level in the Rhine. However this gauge height hampered shipping and caused therefore economic losses." (European Comission 2011: 57)

"The summer 2003 in Europe was by far the hottest since 1500 AD (Luterbacher et al., 2004) and it seems that heat waves will become more intense, longer lasting, and or more frequent in future warmer climates (Luber & McGeehin, 2008, Meehl & Tebaldi, 2004). In the summer 2003, in much of Europe reduced crop yields and shortages in green fodder supply caused major financial losses to farmers (Fink et al., 2004; Reichstein et al. 2007)." (European Comission 2011: 57)

"Cologne is considered the most flood prone area in Europe. Between 1900 and 2000 Rhine floods at Cologne occurred almost exclusively during winter (Pinter et al., 2006). Peak flows at this station and for the century documented an upward trend with an average increase of about 25%. One of the main drivers of this change, which lead to the magnification of flooding in the area, seems to be anthropogenic or otherwise due to climate change." (European Comission 2011: 57)

"The summer 2003 in Europe was by far the hottest since 1500 AD (Luterbacher et al., 2004) and it seems that heat waves will become more intense, longer lasting, and or more frequent in future warmer climates (Luber & McGeehin, 2008, Meehl & Tebaldi, 2004). No shortages in drinking water supplies occurred in Germany due to a sufficient replenishment of groundwater resources and reservoirs in the previous period (Fink et al 2004)." (European Comission 2011: 57)