In northern Finland lies Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland and a popular gateway to the Arctic. Known as the official hometown of Santa Claus, it attracts visitors year-round, providing unique experiences such as crossing the Arctic Circle, staying in glass igloos, and viewing the Northern Lights. Rovaniemi is also rich in natural beauty,...

The Torngat Mountains National Park, located in northern Labrador, Canada, is celebrated for its rugged beauty and cultural significance. Covering 9,700 square kilometres, it encompasses towering peaks, fjords, and glacial valleys. The park is named after the Inuktitut word Tongait, meaning ‘place of spirits’, reflecting its deep importance to...

Between October and November 2024, northern Australia was affected by intense bushfires. According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), which has been tracking the situation, the emissions generated by the fires have surpassed average levels. The region of Queensland has been particularly impacted, recording its highest...

With a surface area of almost 3,500 square kilometres and a thickness of 400 metres, A23a is the largest iceberg in the world. After calving from the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf in West Antarctica in 1986, the iceberg was stuck on the floor of the Antarctic Ocean for over 30 years. However, it has recently started to move again, drifting northward...

In 2024, Belgium was affected by unusually wet weather. This data visualisation, produced using data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), shows the precipitation anomaly in Belgium for each month of 2024. The data reveals that the precipitation anomaly was especially high in May, while November marked the first month of the year...

Following Storm Dorothea, the Spanish Canary Islands were affected by a haze brought on by strong gusts of wind on 17 December 2024, which carried suspended dust from the Sahara Desert. This dense haze, known locally as calima, led to decreased air quality in several areas. The islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were the hardest hit, with...

On 14 December 2024, Cyclone Chido, a Category 4 storm, hit Mayotte, a French archipelago in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. With winds exceeding 220 km/h, Chido was the strongest storm to affect the islands in over 90 years, destroying buildings and key infrastructure, including roads and electrical grids, and impacting the ability of rescue...

On 15 December 2024, the Pyrenees mountains were hit by an intense snowstorm. In Spain, the Ebro Valley was affected by morning fog and widespread frost, especially in low-lying areas and depressions. Amid the snowfall, fog, and frost, authorities have advised drivers and residents to take precautions, as these conditions can impact visibility...

In 2024, Ecuador was hit by a series of devastating forest fires, exacerbated by the worst drought in sixty years. In mid-November, local authorities declared a national state of emergency for 60 days, mobilising resources to fight the fires and tackle the energy crisis caused by the drought. The province of Azuay, home to Ecuador's third...

Lake Engure, a shallow coastal lake in Latvia, is a key bird habitat and Ramsar site. The lake is home to 186 species of nesting birds, 48 of which are considered threatened in Europe, and hosts at least 25,000 waterbirds at the end of the breeding season. The area is rich in botanical diversity, with over 800 plant species and features varied...

Jebel Uweinat is a prominent mountain massif located at the border of Egypt, Libya, and Sudan, within the Sahara Desert. Known for its dramatic, rugged peaks and striking geological features, Mount Uwaynat rises to about 2,000 metres, making it one of the highest points in the region. The area is renowned for its prehistoric rock art, depicting...

On 9 December 2024, a wildfire, identified by the local authorities as Franklin Fire, broke out in Malibu, California, destroying multiple structures and forcing the evacuation of 6,300 people. Two days after the start of the event, the Franklin Fire remained only 7% contained, causing school closures and the deployment of almost 2,000...

Venice, Italy, is a historic city renowned for its canals, stunning architecture, and rich cultural heritage, drawing millions of visitors each year.   In November 2019, the worst recorded flood since 1966 affected more than 80% of the city, causing millions of euros in damage. Since then, restoration efforts have been underway to repair the...

The Ottenby nature reserve, located on the southern tip of Öland, Sweden, is a diverse natural area renowned for its rich biodiversity. This Natura 2000 and Ramsar Site includes wet grasslands, beaches, pastures, and sandbanks. Known as one of the top areas for birdwatching in Sweden, 377 species of birds have been observed at Ottenby. At the...

Home Reef is an underwater volcano in the Tonga Archipelago, characterised by cyclical eruptions which can last from a few days to several weeks. While not constantly active, its eruptions can produce hazards such as tsunamis, ashfall, and pyroclastic flows, as in the eruption of January 2022, which caused widespread damage to nearby islands.  ...

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has published its latest monthly Climate Bulletin, focused on key climate trends in November 2024. The bulletin indicates that November 2024 was the second-warmest November globally, following November 2023, with an average surface air temperature of 14.10°C, which is 0.73°C above the 1991-2020...

With over 70% of Europeans living in urban areas, cities are key to implementing the European Green Deal and fostering a sustainable, low-carbon society. Since 2010, the European Green Capital Award has recognised cities’ efforts to become greener and cleaner. On 27 November 2024, the European Commission announced Guimarães, Portugal, as the...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, showcases a striking phenomenon caused by the bora wind over the Adriatic Sea between Croatia's Dalmatian coast and the island of Pag.  On the day the image was acquired, the bora - a strong katabatic wind blowing from the land - reached speeds of more than 100 km/h. As it...

The Albufera Natural Park is one of Europe’s most biodiverse coastal wetlands. Home to over 372 bird species and endangered freshwater fish, the Park’s water quality has deteriorated significantly after the disastrous floods which affected the Valencia Region, Spain, at the end of October 2024.  This is evident in the change in the water’s...

Every austral summer, oceanographic and seasonal conditions in the eastern Great Australian Bight favour the development of phytoplankton blooms. Seasonal winds and ocean currents contribute to the redistribution of nutrients in the water column, creating ideal conditions for these microscopic organisms to thrive.   As the foundation of the...