On 26 January 2026, a dense plume of Saharan dust moved northwards from North Africa, affecting air quality across large parts of Greece, the Balkans, and the south-eastern Mediterranean. This data visualisation, based on Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS)

On 16 January 2026, wildfires broke out across central Chile, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency in the Ñuble and Biobío regions. The fire resulted in at least ...

At the end of January 2026, a severe winter storm affected large parts of eastern Canada, causing exceptionally low temperatures across Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Cold, dry continental air flowed over the comparatively warmer waters of the Atlantic ...

Every year, 26 January marks the International Day of Clean Energy, highlighting the importance of accelerating the transition towards sustainable and low-carbon energy systems. In the European Union, this objective ...

In mid-January 2026, heavy snowfall blanketed large parts of the European continent, with significant accumulation across Hungary, Romania, ...

After remaining grounded for several decades, Iceberg A-23a began drifting northwards in 2024. In early 2025, it started to break up near South Georgia as it reached warmer ocean waters. These images, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites, show the reduction in ...

Mercator Ocean International's latest report, based on Copernicus Marine Service data, summarises ocean conditions in 2025, which were marked...

Lake Balaton is Central Europe’s largest freshwater lake and a key ecological and economic asset in Hungary. Following several days of prolonged freezing temperatures, the lake surface has frozen for the first time in ...

This Copernicus Sentinel-1 image, acquired on 20 January 2026 at 05:04 UTC, shows wind-modulated sea surface conditions across the southern Tyrrhenian Sea during the passage of Storm Harry, a deep Mediterranean low-pressure system. Radar backscatter intensity varies markedly ...

Arctic sea ice extent remained below average during December 2025, with particularly reduced ice coverage observed northeastern of the Svalbard archipelago. This area showed a notable absence of sea ice, reflecting broader anomalous conditions across the Arctic. According to the ...

Renowned for its extensive network of parks, forests, lakes, and rivers, Berlin, the capital of Germany, is considered one of Europe’s greenest capitals, with almost half of its territory covered by green and blue spaces. The city appears under a blanket of snow in this Copernicus ...

Large wildfires have been ongoing in Argentine Patagonia since early January 2026, impacting vast areas of native forest and shrubland. According to the local authorities, the fires spread across the provinces ...

Prolonged heavy rainfall in early January 2026 caused rivers to overflow across parts of central and western Albania, leading to flooding in low-lying areas and along major river corridors. The event affected several cities, including Fier and Berat, where floodwaters inundated

In addition to Trenčín, Slovakia, Oulu, Finland has been awarded the title of European Capital of Culture in 2026, thanks to its dedication to fostering a “Cultural Climate Change” to address global challenges. Located in northern Finland, Oulu is known for its strong technology sector, innovative cultural scene, and close connection to nature...

After more than a decade in orbit, the Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite is still helping to push the boundaries of Earth Observation. Originally designed to acquire high-resolution, daylight images of land and coastal areas, Sentinel-2A has recently been used in experimental night-time imaging to assess its performance in darkness.  ...

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has released the 2025 Global Climate Highlights report, summarising the key trends in global and regional climates for the year. 2025 was the third warmest year on record globally, following 2023 and 2024. Average global temperatures over the 2023–2025 period exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels...

The Szczecin Lagoon, also known as the Oder Lagoon, is a large transboundary coastal wetland shared between Poland and Germany. Designated under the Ramsar Convention and belonging to the Natura 2000 network, it is recognised as a wetland of international importance. Situated at the mouth of the Oder River, near the cities of Świnoujście in...

Multiple uncontrolled bushfires have affected the Australian state of Victoria in recent days, forcing communities to evacuate, leading to the closure of hundreds of schools, and leaving thousands of homes without electricity.  This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, acquired on 9 January 2026, shows the area south of the town of Longwood in northern...

Triglav National Park is Slovenia’s only national park and a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, located in the Julian Alps in the northwest of the country. Dominated by Mount Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak, the park is characterised by alpine ridges, high plateaus, and karst landscapes.   This false-colour image, acquired on 27 December...

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 optical satellites carry 13 multispectral bands which allow for the detailed observation of the Earth’s surface and coastal areas.  These spectral bands are acquired a fraction of a second apart. As a result, the Earth’s surface is not observed from the exact same viewing angle at the same time. This slight temporal...