On 20 April, the Copernicus Climate Change Service released the ‘2022 European State of the Climate Report’.  As shown in this data visualisation called “climate stripes”, in 2022, Europe experienced its second-warmest year on record and hottest summer to date.  The report also notes that the spread of large fires across EU countries has...

The invasion of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea continues to spread in the spring of 2023. Multiple sightings of brown seaweed have been reported, causing concerns for the tourism industry and local ecosystems.  On 13 April, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites imaged a massive mat of algae measuring over 1 km in width south of Barbados....

On 16 April 2023, a wildfire broke out in the hills between Cerbère and Banyuls-sur-Mer in the Pyrénées-Orientales region of France and crossed the Spanish border. The fire spread quickly, fuelled by dry vegetation and strong winds. Despite the best efforts of over 500 firefighters from various regions of France and Spain, the flames ravaged...

Northern Italy is facing worrying drought conditions. The Po River, Italy's longest river, reached its lowest level ever recorded in April, while water levels in Lake Garda, Italy's largest lake shown in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image of 16 April, plummeted to their  lowest point since 1953. This drop puts water in Lake Garda only 45.8 cm...

The Karakoram range in the Himalayas is renowned for its glaciers, some of which are among the largest and longest outside the polar regions. As a result of climate change, these glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate, leading to the formation of new glacial lakes in the Hunza River basin and in other valleys of the range, as seen in this...

The Azores archipelago in Portugal is a stunning collection of nine islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Among them are Pico, Faial, and São Jorge, three islands known for their rich biodiversity and for being home to unique species found nowhere else on Earth. On 3 April 2023, one of the two Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites captured an...

The cultural heritage sites along the coasts of Cyrenaica are of great historical and universal significance, but they are facing a serious threat from coastal erosion caused by climate change. The impact of this erosion is already visible, with some of these sites at imminent risk of damage or loss. Among the most threatened is the ancient...

At the beginning of April, a massive dust storm originating in the Gobi desert swept across several countries in East Asia, including China, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan. The dust storms led to reduced visibility and respiratory issues among the population. On 13 April, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites captured the extent of the...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 10 April, shows the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA. The Great Salt Lake was at its lowest level ever in November 2022 as a result of months of record-breaking drought. However,thanks to a record snowpack since early 2023, the lake has risen by over one meter in just a few...

Each year, Arctic sea ice reaches its maximum extent during the month of March. According to Copernicus Climate Change Service data, the 2023 maximum was reached in early March, with a total extent of 14.5 million km2. This is 4% below the 1991-2020 average for the month and the fourth lowest in the satellite era. The Labrador Sea in Canada,...

This image illustrates the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomaly in the Mediterranean and off the Atlantic coasts of the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, using data from the Copernicus Marine Service. The visualisation highlights that the SST anomalies reached around +3°C above the reference value on 10 April. These findings echo preliminary...

Lake Balkhash, a Ramsar Convention site in Kazakhstan, is a crucial breeding ground for waterbirds and home to endemic fish species. The lake has been recognised as a site of global significance for biodiversity and plays a vital role in regulating the regional climate. On 4 April, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites captured this image...

The drought in Spain has severely affected the Sierra Boyera reservoir in the Cordoba province of Andalusia.  At the beginning of March, the reservoir was at only 1.3% of its total capacity. As seen in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 1 April, the reservoir remains completely empty, causing severe consequences for the local flora...

Multiple agricultural fires are ongoing in South Asia.  They are causing high levels of PM2.5, which creates numerous air pollution hotspots. In Laos, the smoke clouds have led to dangerously poor air quality, forcing schools to close. One of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured the thick smoke cloud on 4 April, highlighting the widespread impact...

In early April 2023, multiple plumes of Saharan dust were observed originating from Africa. On 4 April, Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured an image of a large plume stretching hundreds of kilometres from the coast of Libya to Türkiye. These dust plumes can have severe impacts on the environment, air quality, and human health. Therefore, monitoring...

The glaciers in New Zealand are rapidly retreating due to the effects of climate change, and it is predicted that many of them will vanish within the next decade. Among those at risk is the Brewster Glacier, which can be seen in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 22 March.  According to the scientists at the...

Latvia is currently facing severe floods along the Daugava River, causing water levels to rise rapidly in nine municipalities of the Upper Daugava Region. The floods pose a serious threat to surrounding communities, farms, and the environment. The extent of the floods can be appreciated in this Copernicus Sentinel-1A radar image captured on 1...

Arctic sea ice reached its maximum extent for the year on 6 March. It happens to be the fifth smallest winter extent in the 45-year satellite record. This Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite image captured on 30 March shows the extent of sea ice off the coast of Greenland. The melting of Arctic sea ice has a significant impact on the global...

At the end of March 2023, the Canary Islands were hit by extreme weather conditions. The region saw record-breaking temperatures, with some areas reaching scorching highs of 38°C. The islands were also affected by a Saharan dust storm, which caused poor air quality and a hazy, otherworldly atmosphere. This Copernicus Sentinel-3 image, acquired...

Dozens of fires are currently active in Asturias, an Autonomous Region in north-western Spain. The blazes have already caused the evacuation of about twenty people in the towns of Aristebano and Caborno, affecting various buildings and constructions in several towns. The weather conditions, with strong gusts of wind and high temperatures, are...