Climate change is causing more frequent and intense flooding in northern Europe and the worldwide annual bill from flood damage, estimated at $US100 billion ($148.49 billion), is likely to increase, according to a study looking at 50 years of data from thousands of locations.

One of the largest studies of its kind, the findings from 24 European countries and 50 scientists were published by science journal Nature.

Flood magnitude has increased in the UK over the past five decades, particularly in parts of northern and western Britain. This is part of a continent-wide pattern of changes in flooding which is in line with expectations in a warming world, the researchers said.

“Regardless of the necessary efforts of climate change mitigation, we will see the effects of these changes in the next decade,” lead researcher Professor Gunter Bloschl from the Vienna University of Technology said. “Flood management must adapt to these new realities.

“The regional patterns all correspond well with predicted climate change impacts. This shows us that we are already in the midst of climate change,” he said.

North England and southern Scotland will see an 11% increase in river flood levels each decade. By contrast, in southern Europe the risk of flooding is falling as higher temperatures dry out soils, leaving the land more absorbent.

The journal called for long-term hydrological monitoring and data-sharing collaboration across Europe to better understand the mechanisms behind observed changes in flooding.