After being impacted by a severe drought, the Horn of Africa is now being hit by devastating floods. At this time of year, the region is often affected by heavy rains which lead to flooding, causing extensive damage to the local infrastructure, homes, agriculture and livelihoods. This year, the El Niño meteorological phenomenon is intensifying...

The Rio Negro, a major tributary of the Amazon, is at its lowest level in 120 years. The lack of water is affecting navigation on the River Amazon and the electricity supply to local towns and villages. The region's population is suffering from energy rationing, affecting essential services, and some indigenous communities have seen their water...

Inle Lake, a freshwater lake in the Shan Mountains in eastern Myanmar, has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding biodiversity and rich cultural heritage. However, the lake's surface area has decreased significantly in recent years due to the expansion of floating farms, mainly used to grow tomatoes. This image...

Mount Etna is an active volcano located in eastern Sicily, Italy.  The third paroxysm of 2023 occurred on 12 November. The lava fountain activity lasted several hours during the night, accompanied by a dense eruptive cloud laden with pyroclastic material (ash and lapilli) which fell in a narrow sector on the eastern slope of the volcano. The...

Due to the fragile and thin ice layer in certain areas of its surface, the Exploradores glacier in Chile's Laguna San Rafael National Park has been temporarily closed to tourists, following an ice fall occurred on 6 October. Drone images gathered by Chilean government hydrologists since 2020 indicate that the glacier has been thinning at a rate...

After several days of heavy rain, several rivers have overflown in the region of Pas-de-Calais, in northern France. The city of Montreuil-sur-Mer area has been affected by severe flooding and more than 120 people have been displaced. In this data visualisation, based on data acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 11...

The island of Madeira is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to the region. Last month, a wildfire broke out in the north-west of the island, burning more than 3,500 hectares of vegetation. This colour-enhanced image of Madeira, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 9 November, shows the...

Following the recent heatwave in Europe, the weather made a swift transition from summer to late autumn. The first snowfall of the season covered the Alps, the highest and most extensive mountain range in south-central Europe. Its peaks extend for 200 kilometres across Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, and...

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has recently released its latest monthly Climate Bulletin, which highlights that October 2023 was the warmest October on record globally. Notably, air temperatures exceeded those of the previous warmest October by a significant 0.85°C.  This data visualisation, based on C3S data, shows the surface air...

The wildfire that has been ravaging the area of Montitxelvo, south of Valencia, in Spain, has been declared under control by the local authorities after burning for 5 days. More than 2,500 hectares have burnt, affecting 5 municipalities, and causing the displacement of at least 950 people.  In this image of 6 November acquired by one of the...

The city of Seville, located in Spain’s southern region of Andalucía, is a vibrant city with splendid monuments, colorful streets, and a rich cultural heritage. The city, which seamlessly blends the old and the new, is renowned for its stunning landmarks, including the majestic Sevilla Cathedral, the largest gothic cathedral in the world, and...

Torrential rain affected Italy in the past few days, causing severe flooding and widespread destruction. The increased surface runoff (i.e., the flow of water over the ground surface) has eroded soils and carried sediments into rivers, which have been washed down all the way to the Adriatic Sea.  The massive amount of sediment poured in the...

The passage of Storm Ciarán across the Mediterranean Basin triggered a massive Saharan dust transport from the coast of Libya. The intense winds associated with the storm caused the dust particles to be lifted high into the atmosphere, where they were carried across the sea by the prevailing winds. This type of dust transport is a common...

As visible in this Copernicus Sentinel-3 image acquired on 3 November, Western Europe is bracing for another major storm system, called "Domingos", just a few days after the passage of Storm Ciarán. Domingos is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain and high waves to several countries, including France, Portugal, Spain, the UK and...

Storm Ciarán proved to be a formidable weather event, one of the most powerful storms to make landfall in Europe in recent memory. This meteorological powerhouse swept across the continent, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rain. The storm's impact was felt across a wide swathe of Europe, from the British Isles to mainland Europe. It...

The air quality in India deteriorated at the end of October because of the thick clouds of smoke from the stubble fires that are ongoing in the northwestern States of the country. The New Delhi area is among the worst affected. In the last week of October, the air quality remained 'very poor' for five consecutive days. The Indian Meteorological...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 26 September 2023, shows the Van Mijenfjord fjord in the Svalbard archipelago in Norway.  This fjord is home to Svea, a coal mine that produced hundreds of tonnes of coal a year until 2017. Now abandoned, Svea has been returned to nature in recent years thanks to one of...

On 25 October, Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 storm, made landfall in the Mexican state of Guerrero, causing massive flooding, widespread destruction and disrupted communications. Acapulco is the most affected area, with at least 39 casualties reported and extensive damage to the buildings and infrastructures. The Copernicus Emergency Management...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 4 September 2023, shows Dublin, the city capital of Ireland.  Dublin is one of the greenest cities in Europe. It is home to Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed park in a European city. Along its scenic coastline are two Natura 2000 sites, North Bull Island, a UNESCO Biosphere...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 7 October shows Montevideo, Uruguay. Since 2005, Montevideo has implemented innovative measures to protect its coastal areas. The city has created artificial dunes on urban beaches to ensure both environmental protection and coastal stability, helping to protect areas from...