Multiple fires continue to ravage Greece. Among the most significant are those currently raging in the Sterea Ellada region, the East Macedonia and Thrace regions, and on the islands of Euboea and Rhodope. One of the fires that is causing the worst destruction is the one ongoing in the East Macedonia and Thrace region. Firefighters are actively...

Every day, Copernicus generates tens of TB of data through its constellation of Sentinel satellites and information services which are available on a free, full and open basis to anyone globally.

The ongoing heatwave, combined with the absence of clouds over the Alps, resulted in record-breaking temperatures across Europe, even at high altitudes. According to  MeteoSwiss, the Federal Office for Meteorology and Climatology, the high-altitude air temperature record for the past 70 years ago has recently been recorded. Glaciers are being...

At the beginning of the third decade of August 2023, Greece faced a substantial outbreak of extensive wildfires, bringing significant concerns to the affected regions. In East Macedonia, the flames have consumed more than 8,500 hectares. At the same time, on the island of Evia, a fire has led to the evacuation of three villages to ensure the...

France is grappling with the consequences of the severe heatwave which is ongoing in central and western Europe. On 20 August, forty-nine air temperature records have been broken. One area particularly affected is Southern France, shown in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on the same day. In the Rhone Valley, temperatures have...

A new heatwave is ongoing in Europe. Forecasts predict temperatures of up to 42°C in Italy, 40°C in France, and 37°C in Switzerland from August 18, 2023, until the end of the following week. The heatwave results from a high-pressure system from Africa, bringing clear skies to a significant part of central and southern Europe. In this image...

As shown in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 18 August at 11:52 UTC, the wildfire which started in the municipalities of Arafo and Candelaria (#IFArafoCandelaria) continues to ravage Tenerife's forests.  Over 3,000 people have been evacuated. According to local authorities, this wildfire is the most complex fire in the Canary...

The ongoing wildfire crisis in Canada has reached unprecedented proportions.  Since the beginning of the 2023 fire season, 5,700 fires have burned an area of approximately 13.7 million hectares, reflecting an increase of 650% above the reference value. 1,054 fires are currently still burning. The most affected area during the last few days is...

A wildfire broke out in the municipalities of Arafo and Candelaria (#IFArafoCandelaria)  in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. The fire burned 800 hectares, leading to the evacuation of several residential areas and the closure of two main roads.   This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites on 16 August, shows the...

For decades, people in Europe and beyond have been preserved from famine and have enjoyed a wide variety of food. This did not happen by accident.

The lakes and coastal lagoons of Tunisia are currently grappling with the dire and far-reaching consequences brought about by extreme temperatures and prolonged drought.  This situation has led to a significant disruption in the delicate balance of these ecosystems. The drying up of the Ariana Lagoon, located near Tunis and recognised as an...

During the night between 13 and 14 August 2023, the Etna volcano erupted, featuring scenic lava fountains.  Within this paroxysm, the Southeast Crater emitted an ash plume, which dispersed in a southerly direction. As shown in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites at 09:23 UTC, less than 8 hours after the beginning...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 3 August 2023, shows Coober Pedy, a remote town nestled in the heart of South Australia.  Coober Pedy is an opal mining town with a population of around 2,500 people. It faces scorching temperatures that can soar beyond 52°C during the unforgiving summer months. In a...

In August 2023, a user survey was published to determine user requirements for snow load information systems.

During the second weekend of August 2023, an intense heatwave exerted its influence over the Canary Islands. The maximum air temperatures were above 40°C in several areas of the archipelago, with peaks of 42°C in Gran Canaria and 39.2°C in La Gomera during the night of 12 August.  On the same day, the air quality was also affected. As...

This image, captured by a Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite on 11 August at 00:39 UTC, shows Typhoon Lan, currently located to the east of Japan's Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Typhoon Lan has reached peak wind speeds of 126 kilometres per hour. It should be making landfall over the larger Japanese islands on 15 August, with forecasts...

This image, captured on 10 August by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites, shows the Iberian Peninsula as it is undergoing the third severe summer heatwave. Among the affected regions, Spain suffers the most from the effects of the high temperatures. The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued red alerts, indicating an extreme...

Numerous fires are devastating Hawaii. Maui, one of the islands in the archipelago, is the hardest-hit area. Approximately 14,000 homes have lost power, and at least six people have died. Evacuation orders have been issued on the Big Island as a result of the fires which have affected communication and infrastructures. According to NOAA, the...

Imagery captured by Copernicus Sentinel satellites have a myriad of practical applications. Any one of the six Copernicus Services, each of them specialised in capturing and processing a specific type of data, allows scientists, national, regional and local authorities, as well as academics to understand the conditions on the Earth’s surface.

This visualisation, based on data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), shows the surface air temperature anomaly for July 2023 in Europe.  With a deviation of over 0.7°C from the average of the years 1991 to 2020, July 2023 marks the warmest July ever recorded.  Numerous regions in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in southern...