December 2023

Queensland floods

Major floods inundated parts of Queensland, Australia, with tropical cyclone Jasper bringing a year's worth of rain to some areas. The city of Cairns received more than 2m of rainfall since the weather event began.

Extreme rainfall in Tamil Nadu, India

In early December, heavy rains from Cyclone Michaung flooded the city of Chennai and killed at least 18 people in Tamil Nadu state. Thousands were evacuated to relief camps.

In a separate incident, in Kayalpattinam in Tamil Nadu over 94cm of rain was recorded in 24 hours, in what meteorologists called a 'unique event'.

Heatwave in Spain and western Mediterranean

Unseasonal December heat hit Spain, Portugal, Morocco and France. Malaga reached 29.9C, provisionally becoming mainland Spain's hottest December day on record.

Heat across east Asia

On 8 December, seven provinces in northern China broke the provincial record for December and in total nearly 500 weather stations across China broke December records. Shahe, Hebei broke the record for the highest temperature in northern China in December at 27.8C. Cold weather then moved into northern China, but southern China continued to break heat records.

Also on 8 December, about half the weather stations in North and South Korea broke records.

Japan also experienced a December heatwave: on 16 December temperatures in Tokyo did not drop below 20C, as on a summer night.

In Thailand, the national temperature record for December was broken.

December heat in South America and Mexico

Temperature records fell in central Brazil as El Nino delayed rainfall. A minimum night temperature of 30.5C at Cuiaba broke the December record for Brazil. Argentina, Paraguay, Uraguay and Colombia were also affected. The December record temperature was broken in Bolivia.

Fourteen were killed in Argentina from a storm with 150km/h winds. This also combined with intense heat in the country.

Temperatures in Mexico reached maximum of 40C and highest minimum temperatures of 28C

South Africa heatwave

In South Africa, the late November heatwave continuing into December.

November 2023

November 2023 breaks heat records globally

For the third month in row, the planet broke an all-time monthly heat record by a remarkable margin. 

Heatwave in Brazil

Red alerts have been issued for almost 3,000 towns and cities across Brazil, which have been experiencing an unprecedented heatwave. Rio de Janeiro recorded 42.5C on Sunday - a record for November - and high humidity on Tuesday meant that it felt like 58.5C, municipal authorities said. More than a hundred million people have been affected by the heat. Bolivia and Paraguay have also been affected

Drought restricts traffic through Panama Canal

In late July, vessels passing through the waterway each day were limited to an average of 32, down from the usual 36, with restrictions on the permitted maximum depth of ships.  Further restrictions were announced at the beginning of November after the driest October since records began 73 years ago  these increasing so that by February 2024 it would be down to 18 vessels a day.

Asia heatwave in early November

On 1 November, 680 weather stations across China broke their November temperature record, and 25 stations tied the record, accounting for 30% of the total number of weather stations in China. The record-breaking heat then moved south to Japan and Korea.

Japan observed its hottest November day on record on 3 November, with over 300 weather stations reporting record-breaking temperatures for this time of year. The heatwave affected one-third of the country, with more high temperatures in the following days. Tokyo broke a 100-year-old temperature record on 7 November.

Bangladesh also had its hottest November day on record on 1 November.

Taiwan broke its November record temperature and the November record of highest minimum night temperature broken in Thailand, other records broken in Thailand included the hottest November day on record at Phuket and Krabi.

Flooding in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic

The President of the Dominican Republic where 21 people were killed in floods and landslides said the tropical disturbance had brought the highest rainfall ever to occur in the country, up to 431 mm in some areas of the National District, which includes the capital Santo Domingo.

Floods in East Africa

Flooding throughout eastern Africa has killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands. Since late 2020, Somalia as well as parts of Ethiopia and Kenya have been suffering the region’s worst drought in 40 years. However El Niño tends to bring heavier rainfall to the region over October-December. Since October, floods have affected more than 706,000 people in Somalia, while Kenya Red Cross reported on 06 November that floods have affected a total of 15,264 households across the country and at least 15 people have lost their lives. Wide areas of crops have been damaged and hundreds of livestock have perished. Flooding has also affected Ethiopia, Burundi and Malawi.

October 2023

October 2023 confirmed as the hottest on record 

October 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest October on record by an exceptional margin.

Madagascar heatwave

Scientists reported that abnormally warm temperatures in Madagascar in October were ‘virtually impossible’ without human-caused global heating. They also highlighted that heatwaves in all regions of sub-saharan Africa are dramatically underreported.

Floods in Yemen

Thousands of people have been displaced after Tropical Cyclone Tej triggered severe flooding in south-eastern Yemen. Over 40cm of rain fell at Al Ghaydah Airport in the space of a few hours.

Storm Ciarán

Storm Ciarán severely affected parts of Europe from late October to early November, killing 21 people, of whom four were in France and eleven in Italy where almost 200 millimetres of rain fell in three hours, causing flooding. Record wind gusts of 208 km/h were reported in France.

Heavy rainfall from Storm Babet in the UK and Ireland

Hundreds were evacuated and four deaths caused by flooding brought by Storm Babet.

Hurricane Otis hits Mexico

Hurricane Otis 'explosively intensified' with wind speeds increasing by 177km/h within 24 hours from a tropical storm into a category five hurricane. Rising ocean temperatures are increasing the risk of this type of rapid and dangerous transformation according to a 2022 study.

This is also the first time in recorded history that the eastern Pacific has had a hurricane remain at category 5 after making landfall. The hurricane caused at least 49 deaths and left 29 others missing. The total damage from Otis was estimated to be billions of dollars and the impact on the resort city of Acapulco was devastating, with impacts hitting the city's poorest worst. Thousands lost their homes, and the storm was reported to have destroyed as much as 80% of Acapulco’s hotel and therefore the jobs depending on them in a city which is an international tourist spot in one of Mexico’s poorest states.

Drought in the Amazon

The Brazilian Amazon is experiencing a historic drought. The inability of boats to navigate the shallow rivers threatens to leave hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people living in the most remote corners of Brazil stranded and at risk of food, water and medicine shortages. Eight Brazilian states recorded the lowest rainfall in the period from July to September in over 40 years. Rainfall is being reduced this year by El Niño, and the warming of northern tropical Atlantic Ocean waters.

The carcasses of 120 endangered river dolphins were found floating in a tributary river, their deaths most likely attributed to severe drought and heat.

October warmth in Siberia

'Summerlike' temperatures of up to 26C were recorded with many stations breaking monthly records.

Floods in Myanmar

Floods have covered 80 percent of Bago City in Myanmar, with over 27,000 evacuating to relief camps. Bago Region suffers seasonal flooding but this crisis is said to be the worst in 60 years. 

Wildfires in Argentina

Almost a thousand firefighters were deployed to battle wildfires around populated areas of Argentina's Cordoba province, including the resort city of Villa Carlos Paz

September 2023

September 2023 hottest on record - by a huge margin

The hottest September on record follows the hottest August and hottest July, with the latter being the hottest month ever recorded. The high temperatures have driven heatwaves and wildfires across the world. Global average temperatures in September 2023 beat the previous record for that month by 0.5C, the largest jump in temperature ever seen.

South America's heatwave continues into early spring

Continuing from the unprecedented severe winter heatwave, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil have all experienced record September temperatures. Heat was particularly widespread in Brazil, where temperatures reached 40C in 11 states. 

As Bolivia declared its hottest ever September temperature of 40.3C, six out of the country's nine departments were experiencing drought, and a fifth of the country was officially declared as in disaster from severe drought.

Recent research found the abnormal winter heat was made 100 times more likely by climate change.

Floods in Libya kill thousands, in one of worst disasters caused by climate breakdown

After hitting Greece, Storm Daniel brought torrential rain to Libya, with the city of Al Bayda receiving 414mm in 24 hours, around three-quarters of the average annual rainfall. The deluge overcame two dams, reported to be poorly maintained, upstream of the city of Derna which was devastated by the floods. The Libya's ambassador to the UN said the death toll had reached 6,000, a number which is expected to rise, since thousands are still unaccounted for. A contested figure of 11,300 has been cited  more recently by the UN.

The World Weather Attribution initiative, which analyses the role of climate change in the aftermath of extreme weather events, found climate breakdown made the deadly rainfall in Libya up to 50 times more likely to occur and 50% worse. They also found the extreme rainfall that hit Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria was made up to 10 times more likely.

Catastrophic floods in Greece

Storm Daniel caused severe flooding and deaths in Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. One of the worst hit areas is the Thessaly plain, one of Greece's main agricultural regions, which was hit by a year's worth of rain in 48 hours. It is estimated that the short-term effects alone could cost the Greek economy up to 5 billion euros. Crops were widely destroyed, and over 200,000 animals and poultry killed.

Only a few days later, Storm Elias hit central Greece.

Typhoons and record-breaking rain in Hong Kong and southern China

Around 900,000 were evacuated ahead of Super Typhoon Saola's arrival in southern China. However, the storm was downgraded before landfall. One death was recorded. Saola was followed almost immediately by Typhoon Haikui. This typhoon weaked to a slow-moving tropical depression, whose clouds released heavy loads of rainfall, more than 200mm in Hong Kong. An hourly rainfall of 158mm was recorded by the Hong Kong Observator, the heaviest rain since records began 140 years ago. The rains left two people dead and more than 100 injured.  The extreme weather also brought chaos to the nearby Chinese city of Shenzhen, a tech hub of more than 17.7 million people. In that city 465.5mm of rain fell over a 12-hour period, the most since records there began in 1952.

Record rainfall in Japan

Record rains in Japan from the remnants of tropical storm Yun-yeung have led to significant flooding and over 200 landslides, causing the loss of at least three lives and over 2,000 homes damaged.

Floods in Western Cape, South Africa

At least 11 people were killed after heavy rain and winds hit South Africa's Western Cape province, including Cape Town. The destructive weather flooded homes, tore off roofs, destroyed crops and damaged roads and other infrastructure.

Flash floods in Spain

At least three people died in Spain after heavy rains caused flash floods that forced the closure of Madrid metro lines and high-speed rail links. Helicopters were sent to rescue people who had sought refuge on the roofs of their homes in the central city of Toledo.

Floods and landslides in southern Brazil

Torrential rain and winds caused by a cyclone left at least 27 people dead in Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. More than 300mm of rain hit the state in less than 24 hours, triggering floods and landslides, according to the governor the state's worst-ever weather disaster.

No relief from floods in South Sudan

After four years of heavy floods, malaria and malnutrition are rife in South Sudan. During the rainy seasons, floodwaters have swept away entire villages, destroyed crops, drowned cattle, and severely damaged infrastructure, while forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Typhoons and record-breaking rain in Hong Kong and southern China

Around 900,000 were evacuated ahead of Super Typhoon Saola's arrival in southern China. However, the storm was downgraded before landfall. One death was recorded. Saola was followed almost immediately by Typhoon Haikui. This typhoon weaked to a slow-moving tropical depression, whose clouds released heavy loads of rainfall, more than 200mm in Hong Kong. An hourly rainfall of 158mm was recorded by the Hong Kong Observator, the heaviest rain since records began 140 years ago. The rains left two people dead and more than 100 injured.  The extreme weather also brought chaos to the nearby Chinese city of Shenzhen, a tech hub of more than 17.7 million people. In that city 465.5mm of rain fell over a 12-hour period, the most since records there began in 1952.

August 2023

Record-breaking wildfire in Greece

The fire in north-eastern Greece was the biggest wildfire recorded in EU since recording began in 2000, causing 20 deaths. Another wildfire was also burning near Athens and a third major wildfire on the island of Andros

Flooding and landslides in Tajikistan

At least 21 people have died as three days of torrential rains have caused flooding, landslides and mudflows in Tajikistan

Floods in Pakistan

Monsoon rains prompted Indian authorities to release excess reservoir water into the Sutlej, causing flooding downstream on the Pakistani side of the border, with almost 100,000 evacuated. Large parts of Sindh and Balochistan are still recovering from the damage from last year’s floods. India has experienced severe monsoon rains this year, with more than 150 killed in rain-related incidents since July. More than 175 people have died in Pakistan in rain-related incidents since the monsoon season began in late June.

Hurricane Idalia hits Florida

Hurricane Idalia rapidly intensified overnight, fueled by the abnormally record hot waters in the Gulf, before making landfall in Florida with high winds and a storm surge of up to 4.8m, and then moving on to Georgia

Deadly wildfires on Maui

Wildfires on Hawaii's Maui have killed at least 114 people, forced tens of thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate the island and devastated the historic resort city of Lahaina. This was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

Canada's wildfire season 'off the charts'

Canada’s record-breaking wildfire season has continued, “completely off the charts”. In early August - about halfway through the fire season - the number of hectares burned throughout the country was roughly double what is normally burned during an entire season. As of 10th August, that area totaled 13.5 million hectares, about the size of the state of Mississippi. In early August, carbon emissions from Canadian wildfires had already passed 300 megatons, about three times what has been generated during the course of a 'normal' fire season. Even near the Arctic Circle, 20,000 residents of Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories were put under a mass evacuation order. Hundreds were airlifted to safety from Fort Smith.

Heatwave and wildfires in Spain and Portugal

The third heatwave of the summer hit the Iberia peninsula. In Portugal, a high of 46.4C was recorded, with wildfires in both Spain and Portugal. In Spain, the city of Valencia broke its heat record, reaching 46.8C.

Meanwhile a major wildfire on the Spanish island of Tenerife led to the evacuation of five villages

Flooding in Slovenia

Severe flooding killed at least six in Slovenia after a month’s worth of rain in 10 hours - likely to be the worst floods since Slovenia’s independence in 1991.

Storms across northern Europe

Storms brought heavy rainfall to southern Norway causing landslides, as well as Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Denmark, where waves of up to eight metres were reported.

Storms hit Japan and Korea

Typhoon Khanun left two dead in Japan and 166,000 homes without power, in Korea over 10,000 people were evacuated and one killed. The storm also caused the evacuation of the World Scout Jamboree.

Khanun was followed in Japan by Tropical Cyclone Lan, which brought record-breaking rainfall. Tottori city recorded 483mm in just 3 hours while Kagamino town in Okayama recorded 461.5mm, both exceeding the average rainfall for the entire month of August. In 24 hours, Odai in Mie Prefecture recorded 600mm of rainfall, and Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture 500mm. Around 237,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm.

Winter heatwave in South America

The extraordinary winter heatwave in South America continued. Buenos Aires recorded its hottest 1 August in 117 years. In the northern regions of Argentina bordering Bolivia and Paraguay temperatures reached between 37C and 39C. In Chile, temperatures rose even higher, towards 40C. Parts of Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil have also experienced temperatures of almost 39C.

(As of 2 August) 30 consecutive days of the hottest global average temperatures ever recorded

The  global average temperature on Monday 3rd July, 17.01C, surpassed the previous record of 16.924°C. This was beaten on Tuesday (17.18C) and again on Thursday (17.23C). These temperatures were the highest since global temperature has been monitored, but using proxy data collected through tree rings and ice cores we can tell that these average temperatures are the highest in at least 125,000 years. Temperatures have not fallen below the previous record temperature for the past (as of 2 August) 30 days.

Record-breaking rainfall in China

Typhoon Doksuri brought the heaviest rains to China since records began 140 years ago. Hundreds of thousands were evacuated from China's south-east Fujian province, and the storm then moved to the area of Beijing where a month's worth of rainfall was recorded in 40 hours. At least 20 have been killed and 27 missing. Nearly one million people were evacuated in Beijing and in neighbouring Hebei province, In the city of Zhuozhou, where several rivers join, one sixth of the population of 600,000 were evacuated, and residential areas more than twice the size of Paris were waterlogged.

Continuing heatwave in Japan and South Korea

High temperatures have continued in Japan, with records broken, and in South Korea, where 12 people died from heat-related deaths last weekend, while in Japan, three people died including a 13 year-old on her way back from school.

Record temperature in Niger

As part of the ongoing heatwave across North Africa and the Middle East, Niger recorded its highest temperature of 47.4C.

July 2023

July 2023 was the world's hottest ever month, with many local records broken

Ocean temperature records broken

Marine heatwaves have continued, including in the North Atlantic, where unprecedented temperatures could be catastrophic for fish stocks, and in the Mediterranean. In Florida, ocean surface temperatures reached 100F (37.8C) killing corals on which the marine ecosystem (and the local economy) depend.

On 1st August oceans hit their highest ever recorded temperature

Antarctic sea ice fails to re-form in winter

Levels of sea ice are so low, that the mathematical chance of this occurring in the absence of climate change would be once in every 7.5 million years - statistically, it is five standard deviations outside the mean.

Mediterranean heatwaves and wildfires 

Severe heatwaves in southern Europe led to wildfires. Over 20,000 were evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes as devastating wildfires broke out. There were also fires on Corfu and Evia.

Wildfires around the Mediterranean have hit nine countries, including Italy's southern island of Sicily where three people were killed, France near Nice airport, and in Croatia, Syria, Turkey. There were also fires in Portugal and Spain's Gran Canaria. 

In Algeria, 97 wildfires broke out across 16 provinces, killing at least 34. Northern Algeria has been experiencing a record heatwave in recent days, with temperatures reaching 48C. Temperatures in several regions in North Africa are up to 7C higher than normal for the time of year. 

In Tunisia, where some cities had recorded temperatures of 49, wildfires also broke out, but were contained by firefighters with no loss of life.

Weather attribution researchers found that the heatwaves in North America and Europe would be virtually impossible without climate change. 

Meanwhile research was published which found that more than 61,000 people were killed by extreme heat in Europe in 2022.

Above the heatwave zone, instability led to unseasonal storms and hail. In Italy, hailstones as big as tennis balls battered the regions of Veneto and Lombardy, injuring at least 110 people, while a tornado hit Milan. Further hailstorms in Italy probably set the record for largest hailstones recorded in Europe. There were also destructive hailstorms in Croatia and Slovenia, Germany was hit by thunderstorms and giant hail, and a tornado in Switzerland killed one and injured 15

China records hottest temperature ever.

A temperature of 52.2C was recorded in the remote northwest township of Sanbao in Xinjiang's Turpan Depression, significantly higher than the previous highest temperature recorded anywhere in China (50.3C)

Following the hottest June day on record for Beijing, the heatwave across much of China continued into July, with a red heat warning meaning employers across much of China were ordered to limit outdoor work due to scorching temperatures, Residents of some cities have moved into underground air raid shelters to escape the heat. The temperature in nearly half of China exceeded 35C for only the second time in history.

Southern US heatwave continues

Around a third of the US population has been put under extreme heat advisories. Conditions in Phoenix, Arizona, have been described as 'hell on earth' with hospitals treating patients with serious burns from pavement surfaces, or even the water from a garden hose.

El Niño arrives

The Pacific naturally alternates between two global climate patterns: El Niño and La Niña. During La Niña events, trade winds blowing west along the equator are even stronger than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia. Off the west coast of the Americas, upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. During El Niño, trade winds weaken. Warm water is pushed back east, toward the west coast of the Americas.

For the past three years, the world has been in a La Niña phase, associated with cooler global average temperatures, however climate change has meant that despite this, recent years have still been warm. Now El Niño is expected to 'take the brakes off', increasing the likelihood of triggering more extreme heat - 2023 could become the hottest on record, although most of El Niño’s heat will appear in 2024. The impacts vary in different regions:

• Lower rainfall and higher temperatures in Australia, increasing the risk of wildfires and mass coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef. 
• Hotter and drier conditions in the Amazon meaning less growth and greater risk of fires in a forest already approaching a tipping point. Heat and drought also increase in Colombia and Central America.
• Heavy rains and flooding in Peru and Ecuador
• Wetter weather and increased flood risks in the southern US, while the northern US and Canada get warmer and drier. China also tends to be wetter in the south and hotter and drier in the north.
• Reduced rainfall in the Indian monsoon.
• Normally reduced risk of hurricanes and typhoons - however abnormal ocean heat may counteract this to some extent.
• Hopes of increased rain in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa.

Heatwave in North Africa

While not covered at all in mainstream media, temperature records have been broken in North Africa in July. This includes Adrar in Algeria recording a minimum night time temperature of 39.6C - the highest minimum temperature ever recorded in Africa. Initial records noted by @extremetemps on Twitter: 1 July, 5 July, 8 July, 9 July, 10 July.

Severe monsoon season causes deaths across Asia

Climate change increases the risk of heavy rainfall as warm air holds more moisture, and extreme rain has caused floods and landslides across several countries.

North India:

Delhi experienced the heaviest July rainfall in decades. Severe rains triggered at least 14 landslides and several flash floods across Himachal Pradesh, with bridges falling into the Beas river. Delhi, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have received 112%, 100% and 70% more rainfall than average so far in the current monsoon season that started on 1 June. Rainfall varies considerably, but climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more erratic.

China:

While parts of China experienced record-breaking heat, in other areas, unusually heavy rains have killed several people and damaged infrastructure

Japan:

Six people died and three others were missing after the “heaviest rain ever” triggered floods and landslides in south-west Japan. The city of Kurume received precipitation of over 40cm in 24 hours. Landslides are a serious risk in Japan, where many homes are built on flat land at the foot of hills and mountains.

Meanwhile Tokyo issued a heatwave alert. Heatstroke is especially risky for Japan's large elderly population, whose bodies are less able to naturally cool than younger people.

South Korea:

At least 40 people have been killed in South Korea by floods caused by torrential rainfall, including those trapped in vehicles in a flooded tunnel.

Floods in New York and Vermont

Torrential rainfall in the Hudson Valley region of New York State flooded roads and residential areas, and caused at least one death, before moving on to Vermont where it caused the worst flooding since Hurricane Irene in 2011 damaging homes and businesses, but causing no deaths.

Canada wildfires continue, with heat records set in the north

Beginning in March 2023, and with increased intensity starting in June, Canada has been affected by an ongoing, record-setting series of wildfires. Eleven provinces and territories have been affected, with large fires in Alberta, Nova Scotia and Ontario and Quebec. As of 7 July, more than 9 million hectares had burned, shattering the previous record 7.8m hectares burned in 1989. Nearly 1,800 firefighters from 11 countries have arrived to help control the fires.

Smoke from the wildfires has affected air quality across large areas of the US: in late June more than a third of the US population, from the Midwest to the East Coast, were under air quality alerts. Hundreds of thousands of masks were distributed around New York City.

On 9 July, Fort Good Hope in the Northwest Territories, near the Arctic Circle, recorded  37.4C, the hottest temperature recorded that far north in Canada.

June 2023

Hottest June ever recorded

The Met Office has confirmed June was the hottest on record for the UK, eclipsing the last hottest by nearly a full degree. There was concern about possible impacts on marine ecosystems off the coasts of UK and Ireland if high sea temperatures continued, with possible mass mortality of fish and oysters. 

Heatwave in Mexico and southern US states

Over 100 people died in Mexico in June due to scorching temperatures. The increased electricity demand put strain on the grid, causing power shortages. In the US, the heatwave extended from southern Arizona to the Florida coast. In Texas, a public health crisis was reported, particularly affecting older people and outdoor workers, while prisons are reported to be 'like ovens'. 

Analysis found that human-caused climate change continues to make persistent, dangerous heat in places in Texas, the Southwest, and Mexico at least 5 times more likely.

Siberian heatwave

In early June Siberia experienced the region’s 'worst heat wave in history', with temperatures in the high 30s, breaking dozens of records.

Antarctic sea ice at record low level for June

At the end of June, the extent of sea ice should be building to a mid-point between the maximum and the minimum. However, this year the ice is expanding very slowly with the consequence that the extent is way below normal, 2.5 million square kilometres below average for the time of year, and over 1.3 million sq km below the next lowest recorded extent for the time of year.

Floods in Haiti

Thousands were displaced and at least 42 killed in Haiti after a weekend of torrential downpours that triggered mudslides and caused rivers to burst their banks.

May 2023

Cyclone Mocha

Cyclone Mocha, a Category 5 storm killed at least 145 people in Myanmar (or over 400 according to Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government). Coastal areas in Rakhine state were hit by winds of over 200 kilometers per hour. Rakhine is a largely impoverished and isolated state, with Rohingya mostly confined to camps akin to open air prisons, after being forced from their homes by military attacks. UN staff said they were denied access to the camps to help. Further north, houses, schools and hospitals were destroyed – a situation exacerbated by ongoing conflict and the presence of troops hindering access to safe shelter

In Bangladesh, the storm crushed thousands of shelters in the world's largest refugee camp, home to one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

East Asia heatwave continues

In South East Asian countries the heatwave which began in March continued into May.

Spring heatwave in Japan with temperatures up to 36.2C, school children were hospitalised with heat stroke. 

Floods in Italy

After prolonged drought, Emilia-Romagna and parts of Marche northern Italy have been badly affected by heavy rain, floods and landslides, in which nine died and thousands were evacuated.

Record-breaking heatwave in western Canada and US

A heat dome centred above south-western Canada has brought record heat for the time of year to a wide region, and triggered multiple wildfires in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Further north, snowpack is melting abnormally early because of the warmth.

Floods hit multiple countries in East Africa 

In Rwanda, at least 130 people died amid severe flooding and landslides in Rwanda in early May, while thousands were displaced as entire villages were engulfed. Beyond the 5,000 homes, 17 roads and 26 bridges destroyed, a whole hospital was lost amid torrential rain that followed an extended drought.

Heavy rain also caused floods and landslides in Uganda, killing six.

The Horn of Africa, where the worst drought for 40 years is devastating livelihoods and even threatening famine in some areas, also suffered from floods in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Also in Somalia where almost a quarter of a million people had to to flee their homes after the Shabelle River in central Somalia broke its banks and submerged the town of Beledweyne

Torrential floods and landslides in South Kivu province, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, killed over 400 so far confirmed and left thousands homeless

UN warns El Niño could take brakes off global warming

Despite last year being the fifth warmest on record, the world has been in a 'La Niña' weather phase since 2020, which tends to cool average global temperatures. There is estimated to be a 60% chance that an El Niño will develop by end of July, and 80% chance of it by end of September. This climate pattern is typically associated with increased heat worldwide, as well as drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere. 

April 2023

Heatwave in Spain, Portugal and Morocco

Spain recorded its hottest ever temperature for April, hitting 38.8C at Cordoba airport on 27 April. Portugal also recorded its highest ever April temperature of 36.9C on the same day, while in Marrakech, Morocco, temperatures reached a record 41.3C. These temperatures are 10 to 15C above the seasonal average, according to the UK Met Office.

Researchers found that this heatwave would have been almost impossible without the climate crisis.

The heatwave is being amplified by dry soils. The lack of rain is causing serious problems for farmers and communities: drought affects 60% of Spain’s countryside, and has destroyed cereal crops across 3.5 million hectares (detailed review in Spanish). Questions are being asked as to the long-term future of agriculture in Catalonia and southern Spain if these trends continue. In the district of Tomelloso in central Spain, where there has been no rain for 134 days, farmers report that even fall-back crops such as drought-resistant grape vines are being kept alive only with 'unheard of' spring irrigation.

Water scarcity is not just affecting farmers, but also drinking water. Water rationing has been introduced in Catalonia's cities and towns and some villages having supplies topped up by water brought in on trucks. There have also been unusually early wildfires in late March in the eastern region of Castellon.

Heatwave across Asia

A severe heatwave gripped much of the continent in late April. Record April temperatures were recorded at monitoring stations across Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, as well as in China and South Asia.

In Thailand the hottest temperature ever was recorded - 45C - and the following week authorities advised people in Bangkok and other areas of the country to stay home with temperatures of 42C and a heat index - meaning what the temperature feels like combined with humidity - of 54C.

In Bangladesh, temperatures rose above 40C in the capital, Dhaka, earlier this month, marking the hottest day in 58 years

At least 13 people died from heatstroke in Maharashtra after attending a state award ceremony. Recent research highlighted India's vulnerability to heatwaves, finding that more than 90% of the country could fall into an extreme heat “danger” zone, according to the heat index, the study found. 

An attribution study found that that such an April heatwave was 30 times as likely to occur over India and Bangladesh because of climate change. Over Thailand and Laos such an event would have been virtually impossible in a climate that had not been heated by fossil fuel burning.

Last year, India experienced its hottest March on record, followed by a searing heatwave, with temperatures of up to 49C (120°F). An earlier study found that India saw a 55% rise in deaths due to extreme heat between 2000-2004 and 2017-2021 

Heat records on other continents

Southern Africa has experienced a fierce late autumn heatwave. In early April, Botswana's temperature record for April was broken, reaching 38.4C at Tubu in the north-west, a record surpassed at the same location later in the month, reaching 40.4C. 

In Nunavut, northern Canada, a record of 11.1C was reached at a time of year when temperatures rarely exceed freezing.

On 25 April the temperature at Argentina's Belgrano II base in the Antarctic reached 1.5C, around 20C above normal, part of a wider Antarctic heatwave at the start of the long winter.

March 2023

Argentina heatwave continued into autumn

The country’s summer, which technically runs from December to February, was by far the hottest on record, with repeated heatwaves, and the heat in March has been unprecedented. Temperatures during the first 10 days of March were 8-10C above normal in east-central Argentina. The heat has caused an agricultural crisis and contributed to wildfires.

Cyclone Freddy

Record-breaking Cyclone Freddy made landfall in Madagascar and Mozambique in late February. It then looped back and hit the coast of Mozambique again two weeks later, before moving inland to Malawi. Freddy holds the record for most accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), a measure based on a storm's wind strength over its lifetime, as well as being the longest-lasting tropical cyclone.

Overall, Freddy killed at least 1,434 people including at least 1,216 in Malawi and 198 in Mozambique.

California storms

California faced its 12th in a series of powerful, atmospheric river storms over the winter. These have helped alleviate the years-long megadrought, but also caused severe flooding.

Floods in Peru and Ecuador

Since the end of January, a sudden and abnormal warming of Pacific waters off Peru known as a Coastal El Niño has led to heavy rainfall. The rains became especially intense after the rising ocean temperatures helped fuel Cyclone Yaku.

February 2023

Cyclone Gabrielle hits New Zealand

New Zealand has declared a state of emergency. A third of the country's population of five million live in areas affected by the cyclone, which caused devastation to coastal communities on North Island. Some people had to swim through windows to escape flooded homes.

Chile wildfires

The worst wildfire season on record in Chile displaced thousands and caused 24 deaths, with fires consuming around 400,000 hectares of land. The fires have been enabled by record summer temperatures of over 40C, on top of a 13-year drought.

Pakistan still dealing with flood aftermath

Six months on from the start of devastating floods in Pakistan, about 200,000 people are still displaced, many living under tarpaulins by the side of the road. A food security crisis feared and malaria is rife, normally minimal in winter.

January 2023

Three weeks of rainstorms in California

Three weeks of January storms caused an estimated $1 billion damage and killed at least 21 people. The storms helped restore snowpack which is badly needed in the long drought, but the impact on the year's wildfire forecast is mixed, since the rainfall will increase vegetation and makes controlled winter burning more difficult.

Unseasonal floods in Philippines

The Philippines experienced heavy rain, flooding and landslides in January, killing at least 28 people, even though the Philippines is normally in its cool, dry season from December to February. The Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, regularly hit by typhoons and storms.

2023 kicks off with temperature records falling across Europe

The warmest January day ever was recorded in at least eight European countries including Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia, according to data collated by Maximiliano Herrera. In Korbielów, Poland, the temperature reached 19C, compared to the 1C annual average for January. Meteorologists said that such extreme heat over such a large area was 'almost unheard of'.

With drought ongoing in the Horn of Africa, the UN warns that 700,000 could face starvation in Somalia next year, with famine only averted so far by food aid, while livestock have been dying at a 'shocking rate'.

Review of 2022

Overall, 2022 was the fifth warmest on record, with the average global temperature almost 1.2C above pre-industrial levels, despite the presence for the third year in a row of the La Niña phenomenon that has a cooling effect.

The oceans were the hottest ever recorded in 2022 - driving extreme weather as well as affecting marine ecosystems. Antarctic ice also marked a record low.

Twelve European countries broke monthly temperature records in 2022 as the continent recorded its hottest ever summer, and abnormally warm temperatures in October and December. Overall, Europe recorded its second warmest year on record.

Many media outlets looked back at climate disruption and extreme weather over 2022.

Looking forward to 2023, we should be aware of other crises which will continue to interact with the impacts of climate breakdown, including the global debt crisis, the impact of the Ukraine war which is driving shortages (including a global food crisis) and taking attention away from other crises, healthcare disrupted by Covid, colonial legacies and geopolitics. This article asks, for example, about the global risk of a multi-year water crisis in China that significantly reduces its grain production and electricity supplies.