On 16 January, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites captured this image, which shows a rare tropical cyclone that had formed in mid-January in the northern Atlantic Ocean. This is an unusual occurrence for this time of year, as the Atlantic hurricane season typically spans from June to November. The storm developed off the northeast...

Iceberg B-22a was formed in 2001, when it calved from the ice shelf formed by the Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica and started floating in the Amundsen Sea. In 2022 and 2023, it started moving towards the northwest and drifted by about 112 kilometres, 21 of which were covered between December 2022 and January 2023. This image was acquired by...

Latvia is at risk of being affected by the worst flooding episode since 1981 due to an ice jam in the Daugava River. The ice jam is affecting the normal flow of the river, causing the water level to rise and threatening to flood large areas in central Latvia. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) has been activated (EMSR644) to map...

Issyk-Kul is a lake in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, is characterised by a rather unique feature: because of the high concentration of salt in its waters, it remains ice-free during the winter (Issyk-Kul means "warm lake" in Kyrgyz). On 14 January, an extreme cold spell affected Kyrgyzstan, freezing part of the lake and forming multiple ice...

Fiji, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, is facing a grave threat from climate change. Rising sea levels are affecting several coastal villages, with predictions that more than 600 communities could be forced to relocate in the coming years. This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, acquired on the 19 of December 2022, shows the southern part of...

California is going through a prolonged period of extreme weather, causing floods, mudslides, and evacuations. At least 19 casualties have been reported. This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image of 14 January 2023 shows flooded areas in Glenn county, in central California. Officials warn that more rainfall is expected in the coming days and advise...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 12 January 2023, shows Lake Neusiedl, a unique and beautiful water body located on the border of Austria and Hungary. As the largest endorheic lake (i.e., having no outflow to an external body of water such as a river or ocean) in Central Europe, it is home to a rich...

This image, acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-1A satellite on 12 January 2023, provides evidence of  the absence of sea ice south of the Svalbard archipelago. According to the climate bulletin issued by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, December 2022 was the seventh warmest December on record. Additionally, the Arctic Sea ice extent for...

Morocco is currently facing a severe drought, and the Tinghir region, shown in these images acquired by Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites in January 2017 (left) and January 2023 (right), is particularly affected. These images show the severe impact of the lack of rainfall on the centuries-old oases of the region. They are losing their lush...

In 2022, Europe saw extremely high temperatures and a continuous rise in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. According to the Global Climate Highlights for 2022, recently published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) which is implemented by ECMWF, many temperature records were broken. The summer season in 2022...

A severe drought continues to plague South America as a result of the ongoing La Niña climate phenomenon. In Argentina, predictions indicate that the harvest could decrease by 50% in 2023 due to a lack of precipitation. Uruguay has also been heavily affected by the drought, with some regions only having to rely on only 10% of their usual water...

The skies of Northern India are currently engulfed in a thick layer of fog, making for low visibility conditions and causing major disruptions to travel. The dense fog, visible in this image taken by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite, has resulted in flight delays and cancellations at airports in the region, as well as delays for trains. Many...

January 2023 has kicked off the new year with a significant heatwave affecting Europe. In addition to the record-breaking warm temperatures, snowfall was also sparse in both the Alps and the Pyrenees, leaving several ski resorts with little or no snow. The difference in snow cover is visible when comparing these images, acquired by one of the...

Lake Kerkini in Greece This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 3 January 2023, shows Lake Kerkini, one of the most important wetlands in Greece. Lake Kerkini is recognised for its biodiversity and is home to several protected species listed in EU Nature Directives. The lake, also a designated Ramsar and Natura...

In Iceland, last month was the coldest December since 1974, with temperature anomalies up to 15°C below average. Along with the extremely cold temperatures, heavy snowfall affected the island. The extreme weather conditions caused severe disruptions in transport, with several flights being cancelled at the end of the month. On 1 January 2023,...

An eruptive episode of the Etna volcano started in mid-December 2022, with the formation of a new vent at an altitude of approximately 2,800 meters. The lava flow, which is visible in the Copernicus Sentinel-2 images from 20, 23, 25 December 2022, and 2 January 2023, has now travelled more than 1.5 kilometres away from the new vent. This...

The new year has started with a historic heatwave affecting Europe, with many countries observing the warmest temperature on record for 1 January. Hundreds of temperature records have been broken and summer-like temperatures have prevailed in numerous cities across the continent. This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2...

This image is a mosaic obtained by combining all the images acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites between 1 January 2022 and 30 November 2022, eliminating cloudy acquisitions and allowing us to observe the entirety of Europe clearly. Dark green colours show the distribution of large forests throughout the territory, in contrast with...

Record-breaking winter snowfall has affected Japan since late January 2026, causing significant disruptions, dozens of casualties, and hundreds of injuries nationwide. Niigata ...

Storm Leonardo hit the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa on 3 February 2026, bringing heavy rainfall and widespread flooding. In Andalusia, southern Spain, rainfall exceeded 200-400 mm within 24 hours. This Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar image, acquired on 4 February 2026 at ...