As spring arrives, the mesmerising tulip fields of the Netherlands burst into full bloom, adorning the European landscape with an impressive array of vibrant colours. This image, acquired by a Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on 30 April, shows the breathtaking beauty of the blooming fields near Julianadorp, a picturesque village located in the...

For years, Costa Rica struggled with the devastating consequences of deforestation. The natural landscape was heavily threatened, and the nation's rich biodiversity was at risk.  However, over the past 15 years, Costa Rica has taken massive steps in land restoration, successfully increasing its forest cover from a mere 25% to an impressive 57%....

In the last few days of April, a record heatwave hit Spain, with temperatures reaching the record temperature of 38.8°C at Córdoba airport. The intense heat has exacerbated an ongoing drought, leading to the drying up of several salt lakes in southern Spain that serve as habitats for migratory birds, such as flamingos.  On 26 April, the...

Popocatépetl is one of the most active volcanoes of Mexico. At the end of April 2023, its volcanic activity has increased, with frequent explosions and emissions of ash and toxic gases. The National Centre for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED) and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have issued a yellow alert and advised people to...

According to the latest climatological bulletin of the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), in March 2023, 48% of Portugal was in drought conditions. The worst affected areas are in the south of the country.  This image, acquired by a Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on 24 April, shows Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region and...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 16 April 2023, reveals the stunning landscape of the Dombes area in central France. Dombes has been recently designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. With over 1,200 rain-water pools, the Dombes is one of the main inland fish farming territories in France...

The Quelccaya glacier in the Andes of Peru can be seen in this image, captured on 30 November 2022 by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites. The Quelccaya glacier, which was once the world's largest tropical ice cap, has been reduced its volume by nearly 50% over the past four decades and is rapidly melting at a rate of about 5% per year...

Drought continues to grip Spain. One of the most affected areas is Andalusia, particularly in the area of the Guadalquivir River Basin. The reservoirs in the basin are currently at a low capacity of 25.5%, which is 36.5% below the average of the last 25 years. This has resulted from consecutive years of high temperatures and low rainfall, which...

This image, acquired on 19 April by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, depicts Lake Saint Clair, one of the Great Lakes of North America.  During the winter months, the lake's climate is shaped by cold air masses from the Article Circle, resulting in the formation of sea ice in the lake's waters and heavy snowfall in surrounding...

This mosaic, created by combining Copernicus Sentinel-3 images captured on 20 April, showcases intricate and diverse weather systems across Europe and the Atlantic Ocean.  The image reveals high-pressure systems over Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, as well as cyclonic structures over the Atlantic Ocean, Germany, the Netherlands,...

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,...