The western Alps continue to be affected by low levels of snowfall, now reaching the lowest levels on record in several areas.  This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites on 5 March 2023, shows the scarcity of snow cover in the Italian and Swiss part of the Alps. In this area, the daily  Snow Water Equivalent evaluated...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 4 March 2023, shows the capital of Greenland, Nuuk. An intense heatwave is ongoing in this region of the island, with air temperatures more than 20 degrees above the historical average for this time of year. On the same day that this image was acquired, the temperature in...

Since January, several forest fires have been affecting Cuba. Over 2,000 ha have burnt in the eastern Provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Holguín

In the past few days, the southwest of Ireland has been affected by a series of wildfires, which have spread rapidly due to the dry weather conditions and strong winds. They have impacted several areas, causing widespread concern among the local communities, although no damage to property or infrastructure has been reported.  According to data...

This image, acquired on 28 February 2023 by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites, shows Storm Juliette sweeping across the island of Mallorca. An alert has been issued for the island, warning of possible 8-metre waves and heavy snowfall, with temperatures dropping as low as -2°C. Experts have also warned that snowfall of up to 40cm could...

On 19 February 2023, disastrous floods hit the state of São Paulo in Brazil, causing widespread damage and claiming the lives of 57 people. The heavy rains triggered landslides and flooding in coastal towns of the country’s richest state, causing extensive damage to housing and infrastructure. More than 4,000 people were forced to evacuate...

Severe weather conditions recently hit Morocco, causing snow cover to reach up to 1.7 metres in some areas of the Ouarzazate province. The heavy snowfall significantly affected the local population, and 9,000 families will benefit from emergency humanitarian aid, consisting mainly of food and blankets. This extreme weather has also had a...

February marks the peak of summer in Antarctica, providing the opportunity to observe unusual phenomena affecting the continent's ice. On 16 February, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites captured a rare image of green-tinged sea ice due to a phytoplankton bloom in the Ross Sea. In 2017, the same phenomenon of green ice was observed in...

On 19 February at 05:00 UTC, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites acquired this image of Freddy, a very intense tropical cyclone currently active in the Indian Ocean. The storm is expected to approach Mauritius Island and La Réunion on 20 February before hitting the coast of Madagascar on 21 February, bringing along strong winds, heavy...

Bushfires are affecting the Western Downs region of Queensland, Australia. These fires have burnt more than 7,400 hectares of vegetation, causing significant damage. On 16 February, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites captured a pyrocumulus cloud produced by a fire ongoing near Pelham. This type of cloud develops as a result of the...

For the second consecutive year, the region is struggling with over 34,000 hectares of vegetation burnt in the Corrientes province since December 2022. The fires have devastated many natural habitats, including the Iberá National Park, resulting in significant biodiversity loss. As shown in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus...

A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake has hit Türkiye and Syria. The damage is considerable, with at least 33,000 casualties. The earthquake was so strong that it caused massive ground deformations. This interferogram was created using the radar data acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite in ascending orbit on 28 January and 9...

South America is going through a heatwave, with temperatures rising 10ºC above the seasonal average in many places. Argentina is most affected, with 17 provinces experiencing record-breaking temperatures. The heatwave has also resulted in wildfires in Chile and the loss of snow cover on several Andean glaciers in Argentina. This image, acquired...

Temperatures above reference average values continue to be recorded in Europe. According to the latest climate bulletin published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), January 2023 has been the third warmest January, with temperature anomalies reaching +5ºC peaks in Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. The...

  On 6 February 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck near the city of Gaziantep in South-eastern Türkiye. This was followed by several strong aftershocks, including one of magnitude 7.5. The earthquakes caused more than 17,000 casualties and over 37,000 people were injured. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) Rapid Mapping...

Despite the cold weather, the ice coverage of the Great Lakes remains significantly below its average winter extent. Ice is covering only 13.91% of the surface of Lake Michigan, about 8% below the winter’s average, This is one of the lowest ice extents on record, second only to the 12.4% of ice coverage measured in 2002. Even though the cold...

Severe wildfires are currently raging in central Chile, causing widespread devastation. Over 270,000 hectares have burned, and 24 casualties have been reported. The hot and dry weather conditions, coupled with strong winds, have caused the fires to spread rapidly, making this the second-worst year on record for hectares burnt. Despite the...

A devastating earthquake hit Türkiye at 4 a.m. local time on Monday 6 February 2023, with its epicentre 23 km east of Nurdagi, in the Gaziantep province. With a magnitude of 7.8, it is considered one of the strongest earthquakes to affect Türkiye in over a century. Hundreds of buildings collapsed in Türkiye and Syria due to the powerful quake...

The heavy snowfall that hit Romania in the last week of January 2023 caused widespread damage and disruptions across the country. Over 30,000 people were left without electricity, and road transportation was severely impacted by snow and ice. The affected areas saw fallen trees and electricity poles, while some low-lying regions were also...

The winter season in Afghanistan is proving to be one of the coldest in decades, with temperatures reaching -33°C. The harsh weather conditions, characterised by heavy snowfall and frost, are causing widespread devastation throughout the country. The severe weather has caused the death of at least 80,000 heads of livestock and buildings and...