At the beginning of January 2024, heavy rainfall caused rivers to overflow and flood areas of northern France. This has affected around 1,300 homes, while almost 400 people have been evacuated. Several municipalities in the area have been impacted by power outages and water restrictions.  This image acquired on 5 January 2024 by one of the...

Despite the onset of the rainy season, Sicilia (Italy) continues to be affected by a severe drought. The prolonged heatwave intensified the drought, leading to bare soil becoming visible in many Sicilian rivers. This water shortage is affecting certain areas of the island, particularly impacting agricultural irrigation. Citrus groves, which...

Heavy floods are ongoing in Germany. Thousands of first responders are working tirelessly to tackle the aftermath of the heavy rainfall, which has particularly affected the northern states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Saarland and North Rhine-Westphalia. The flooded areas in Lower Saxony are visible in this image acquired by the Copernicus...

In late December 2023, a series of powerful storms in the Pacific Ocean caused massive waves, flooding and evacuation orders in coastal areas of Northern and Central California. The Ventura County coastline was hit hard when a rogue wave injured eight people. This image, acquired by a Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on 1 January 2024, shows the...

The first cyclone of 2024, named Alvaro, made landfall near Morombe in Madagascar on 1 January, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. According to the latest forecasts from Meteo France, the storm is unlikely to pose a threat to other regions and is expected to gradually weaken. This image, acquired by one of Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites on...

El Hierro, the smallest volcanic island in the Canary Archipelago, holds the distinction of being a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and Geopark. Notably, it recently achieved a significant milestone as the first island worldwide to sustainably operate for 28 consecutive days using exclusively wind and hydro power. This achievement was in part...

After several weeks of precursor signals, a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland began on the night of 18-19 November. The eruption occurred about 5km from Grindavik, a town whose inhabitants had been evacuated earlier in the year in preparation for this event.   This image acquired by the SLSTR sensor onboard one of the...

While areas of Queensland are currently struggling with the worst floods in decades, south-eastern Australia is now faced with more than 60 bushfires.   One of the larger fires, currently burning in the Duck Creek area of the Pilliga National Park, is visible in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 18 December, and has burned more than...

For the second time in a few weeks, France has been hit by severe flooding. More than 1,000 buildings have been affected and more than 250 people displaced by rising waters from the river Charente in the Charente-Maritime department on the southwestern coast of France.  The Rapid Mapping Module of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service...

The aftermath of former Tropical Cyclone Jasper's downpour has resulted in over 10,000 people being left without electricity and prompted multiple evacuations across Queensland, Australia. Following forecasts by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology warning of potentially life-threatening flash floods, local authorities issued warnings on Sunday...

The situation arising from the unusually low water levels caused by the El Niño-induced drought in Gatun Lake in Panama recently triggered restrictions and limited the number of ships allowed to sail through the Panama Canal to 22 per day. However, recent rains in November surpassed expectations and brought relief to the area. As a result, the...

On Friday, 15 December 2023, at 00:39 UTC, a new eruption started at the Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia. It emitted an ash column that reached approximately 200 meters above its summit. The seismic activity associated with this event was captured on seismographs, registering a maximum amplitude of 47 mm and a duration of about 15 seconds....

Bird Island, located in the Antarctic Ocean near South Georgia, serves as critical habitat for numerous species of seabirds and fur seals. In October, the first cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the Antarctic region were detected on Bird Island. The virus has led to hundreds of fatalities among elephant seals, along with...

Himalayan glaciers are predicted to lose up to 75 per cent of their ice by the end of the century due to global warming, and their melting poses serious risks, particularly from glacial lakes formed by the melting of the ice. These lakes, when they overflow or become unstable, can cause devastating floods, severely affecting villages and...

A Saharan dust storm and an out unseasonal heatwave are affecting the Canary Islands in the second decade of December. The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issued a pre-alert for the Canary Islands, as the "calima" could affect air quality in the archipelago.  This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites on 12...

Tititaca is the largest freshwater lake in South America, and is located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. The ongoing drought has significantly reduced the lake's water levels, impacting the entire local economy. Industries such as fishing, agriculture, and livestock farming are suffering in the region, and many of the usual navigation routes...

Portugal is at the forefront of the renewable energy sector. This image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on 12 November shows the solar plant of Alcoutim, the largest of the country.   Located in the south-eastern region of Portugal, this sprawling solar farm covers a vast area and harnesses the abundant sunlight to...

Aruba is a Caribbean island located off the coast of Venezuela. Its wetlands are invaluable natural treasures, playing a vital role in the island's ecosystem and beyond. They serve as critical habitats for a wide range of wildlife, from migratory birds to endemic species, providing them shelter, breeding grounds, and food. Four of Aruba's...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites on 8 December, shows Storm Jasper as it passed northeast of Australia.  Jasper is a tropical storm which the beginning of the tropical cyclone season in the southern Pacific. According to the latest forecast from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Jasper is expected to...

Over the weekend of 2-3 December, a heavy snowstorm hit Munich, Germany's third-largest city. The storm brought a record-breaking amount of snow for a month of December, with almost half a metre of snowfall. This was also the heaviest snowstorm to affect the region since March 2006. As a result of the weather forecast for Tuesday 5...