Snowless ski slopes in Europe. Record cold snaps across Asia and the US. Horrific floods across the Southern Hemisphere. In 2023, Mother Nature has shown just how powerful and destructive she can be.
Read on to discover the most shocking meteorological events of 2023, including once-in-a-century floods, unseasonably high temperatures and the surreal sight of the Hollywood sign backed by snow-capped mountains...
Those heading to Europe for a ski trip got a shock in January when they arrived at mountain resorts to find the slopes utterly bare. Many resorts in the northern Alps and French Pyrenees were closed, while others had to use snow machines to give visitors artificial snow to ski on. Elsewhere, eight European countries recorded their warmest January temperatures ever. And in northern Spain and the south of France, locals basked in beach weather, with the temperature hitting a balmy 25°C (76.8°F).
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, temperatures fell to a low of -33 °C (-27 °F), compounding the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn nation. The cold snap killed at least 160 people across the country and in Herat Province a further 140 people were hospitalised for carbon monoxide poisoning after using the gas to heat poorly-ventilated homes. Many livelihoods were also devastated, with nearly 80,000 livestock dying in the extreme conditions.
January saw the Kimberley region in northwest Western Australia experience the worst flooding in the state’s history. The Fitzroy River peaked at 52 feet (15.8m), about 5.9 feet (1.8m) above the previous record. Communities across the region were left reeling as the rapidly rising waters cut off isolated towns, wreaked havoc on farms and killed livestock. Helicopters were used to pluck residents from the tiny towns, while others stranded in more remote communities claimed they were forced to text authorities to request food and supplies.
Parts of Alabama were declared a national disaster zone on 15 January after a series of tornadoes tore through the state, killing nine people, destroying countless homes and knocking out the power supply for tens of thousands of people across the southeastern US. The county of Autauga was hit hardest, with residents sheltering from 150 mile per hour (240km/h) winds in bathtubs and shipping containers. The town of Selma, which hosted Martin Luther King’s historic 1965 march, was hit hard too; residents spent Martin Luther King Day (16 January) clearing away the rubble.
On 19 January, Cyclone Cheneso made landfall between Sambava and Antalaha on the northwest coast of Madagascar, tragically killing 30 people, damaging tens of thousands of buildings and flooding close to 1,400 rice paddies. Barely two weeks later, an even stronger cyclone, Freddy, hit the country, causing more devastation and taking two further lives. Freddy then followed an unusual path, travelling through the region before looping around and hitting the country twice, and hitting other nations including Mozambique.
Large parts of Japan experienced the coldest temperatures for a decade as the country was gripped by a severe cold spell at the end of January. Gale force winds killed at least one person, stranded thousands of others and even sank a cargo ship in the seas between western Japan and South Korea’s Jeju island – killing at least eight of the crew. Central Japan was the worst hit region with a record 37 inches (93cm) of snow recorded in the mountain city of Maniwa.
California seemed to spend most of January being battered by wind and rain as storms lined up over the Pacific. Meteorologists called the prolonged bout of precipitation an ‘atmospheric river’ and by 11 January, 90% of the state was under flood watch. The result was record rainfall, catastrophic damage to property and 22 fatalities. The storms continued for the rest of the month, while risk analysts Moody's estimated the loss to the economy as a result of the floods to be between $5-$7 billion (£4.2-£5.9b).
The early days of February saw much of the southern US lying under a blanket of white as Winter Storm Mara brought heavy snow and ice to the area. The storm began when cold air from the Arctic met warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, creating a cataclysmic ice storm that saw freezing rain and sleet fall as far south as Austin, Texas. At least 10 deaths have been attributed to the storm, while Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was closed and various interstates were shut down.
Cyclone Gabrielle battered the north island of New Zealand for four days in the middle of February and left a staggering trail of destruction. A state of emergency was declared – only the third in the country’s history – while unprecedented flooding and landslides took 11 lives and left over 10,000 people displaced. It is the costliest tropical cyclone ever in the Southern Hemisphere, with damages estimated to be at least NZ$10 billion (£5.2b).
Brazil's Carnival holiday weekend was marked by record-breaking rainfall, deadly floods and destructive landslides across the state of São Paulo. The city of São Sebastião was hardest hit, with at least 57 people killed. A total of 24 inches (60cm) of rain fell in just 24 hours, the heaviest in Brazil's history. It ranks among the highest non-tropical cyclone rainfall totals in the world.
On 14 February, the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster after seven of the nation’s nine provinces were affected by flooding. The floods were caused by unprecedented heavy rains and had a devastating impact on the country’s infrastructure, with many critical bridges damaged. The floods caused extensive crop and livestock losses and four rest camps were closed in Kruger National Park when the Biyamiti River dramatically broke its banks.
March saw another winter storm hit southern California, this time in the Los Angeles region, treating residents to the rare sight of the Hollywood sign backed by snow-capped mountains. The storms brought the snow line as far down as 1,000 feet (305m) above sea level, with the snowpack level (layers of snow) in the Sierra Nevada mountains at 189% of the average for 1 March. Meteorologists are calling it a once-in-a-generation event, but these extreme weather events are increasing in number.
Jaw-dropping images of the world's weather taken from the skies
At least four people died and nearly 41,000 evacuated when ‘unusual’ torrential rains swept across Malaysia in early March. The southern state of Johor, which borders Singapore, was the worst hit, with relief efforts hampered by flooded roads and submerged hazards. Floods are common in Malaysia during the monsoon season, but environmental officials say that soil erosion caused by deforestation worsens the flooding.
Another American icon affected by the snowstorms that pounded California in March was Yosemite National Park. Usually famous for its hot springs and bare granite cliffs, the park was blanketed by unprecedented levels of snow and forced to close. Park officials described it as a ‘once in a generation event’ with drifts of up to 15 feet (4.5m) carpeting the spectacular Half Dome cliff, blocking doorways to buildings and nearly burying tents. Even pumps at the local gas station were left buried under snow.
On 14 March, Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit the coast of southern Africa for a second time, leaving an even greater trail of destruction across Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. The month-long storm killed at least 220 people and brought unimaginable suffering to some of the poorest countries in the world. Cyclone Freddy entered the record books too. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Freddy now holds the record for most accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), generating as much power as a full North Atlantic hurricane season.
In March, Spain’s first major wildfire of the year forced 1,500 people to flee their homes near Villanueva de Viver, 55 miles (90 km) north of Valencia. More than 500 firefighters, supported by 20 planes and helicopters, were needed to bring the blaze under control, which emergency services say was more typical of the hot summer months than early spring. Around 9,900 acres of forest were destroyed before the fire was brought under control. Ximo Puig, president of the Valencia region, blamed summer-like temperatures of about 30°C (86°F).
The recent wildfires in the country are the result of a dreadful drought, which is also severely impacting the country’s olive oil output. As the world’s biggest producer, the shortages are guaranteed to push up prices, which already rose by 60% in 2022 alone.
On 24 March a powerful wedge tornado tore through Mississippi, obliterating the small Delta town of Rolling Fork. Twenty six people were killed and hundreds of were left displaced, while houses and businesses were torn apart in an area where one fifth of the population live below the poverty line. The tornado stayed on the ground for one hour 10 minutes and travelled for over 170 miles (273.5 km), which the National Weather Service says is “very, very rare.”
Only months after the state suffered devastating flooding, a Category 5 cyclone has battered the iron ore mining region of Western Australia with record winds of up to 179 miles per hour (288km/h). Thankfully Cyclone Ilsa skirted Port Hedland, the world’s biggest bulk export port for iron ore. Instead, the region’s iconic Pardoo Roadhouse took the brunt of the storm and was destroyed in the process. Owner Will Batth told ABC news that he took shelter in a shipping container, fearing for his life and enduring “four hours of hell". Local farmers were also warned to move stock as the risk of flash flooding remained high.
All-time high temperatures were shattered across Southeast Asia on the weekend of May 8 as the region continued to suffer an unrelenting heatwave. Temperatures hit a record breaking 44.2°C (111.6°F) in the northern district of Tuong Duong in Vietnam while in Bangkok the mercury nudged 41°C (105.8°F), a record for the Thai capital. Even Luang Prabang in Laos was left sweltering under unprecedented temperatures of 43.5°C (110.3°F). Such was the intensity of the heat that Buddhist monks and nuns put towels soaked in water on their heads as they wandered the baking streets in search of their daily alms.
On 14 May a devastating cyclone hit Myanmar killing at least 40 people. Cyclone Mocha was one of the most powerful storms to hit the region this century with winds reaching speeds of 130 miles per hour (209km/h). Rakhine state in central Myanmar was hardest hit with homes and shelters collapsing, communication systems cut and roads blocked by uprooted trees and fallen power pylons. Some reports put the death toll much higher, especially in camps where the internally displaced Rohingya minority live, where the military junta refuse to count casualties.
Unprecedented drought conditions and sustained winds from the north saw firefighters struggle to contain over 90 wildfires that flared up across the western Canadian province of Alberta. Twenty-seven of the blazes were deemed out of control, with 30,000 people ordered to leave their homes and oil production halted as the flames razed towns and threatened refineries. On 16 May, the heavy smoke pollution from the fires was so bad that Calgary issued an air quality alert across the entire city.
Nine people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes after heavy storms caused severe flooding and landslides across the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The heavy rain caused 21 rivers to burst their banks and submerge entire towns, sending people across the region scurrying to the rooftops of their houses to seek refuge. The economy was hit too, with farmers losing entire harvests while the Emilia-Romagna F1 grand prix at Imola was cancelled, just days before it was due to take place.
Thirteen US states were issued with air quality alerts following the effects of Canadian wildfires that struck Quebec at the beginning of the month. New York City's iconic skyline (pictured) suffocated under a blanket of apocalyptic-style orange smoke on 7 June, as flights were cancelled and people were forced to stay indoors. As a result, the Big Apple currently has the worst air quality in the world, with levels shooting above 350 (500 is the highest) on the Air Quality Index. Warm and dry conditions in Canada's eastern provinces, coupled with persistent winds, are exacerbating the blazes, which have already been classed as the most intense wildfires ever recorded in Québec. More alarmingly, the fires generated nearly 600m tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 88% of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions from all sources in 2021.
Texas and much of the southwest spent most of June under a stifling ’heat dome’ that brought three weeks of record-breaking temperatures to the region, with the mercury hitting a staggering 51°C (125°F) on multiple days in Corpus Christi. The devastating heatwave saw more than 40 million people across the region put under a heat alert and left power grids struggling to cope. “We are seeing a really intense, wide-spread, and long-lasting event,” Andrew Pershing, director of climate science at non-profit Climate Central, told The Guardian. “And human-caused climate change made these conditions more than five times more likely.”
On 9 July a monster storm bore down on New York’s Hudson Valley, killing one woman and causing a severe deluge that washed out people’s homes and destroyed local infrastructure. With countless bridges destroyed and most roads made impassable by tidal-wave type waves, County Executive Steve Neuhaus described the scene as an “absolute war zone”. The storm then moved east to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and much of New England, continuing to cause destructive flooding, particularly in Vermont. "The amount of water is extraordinary," NY Governor Kathy Hochul said.
A heatwave named after the three-headed monster in Dante's Inferno saw much of southern Europe swelter in record-breaking temperatures. A road worker in Italy died from the heat and tourists were seen fainting outside the Colosseum in Rome. A satellite image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel mission revealed that the land temperature in the Extremadura region in Spain hit 140°F (60°C) while in Italy a red alert warning was issued for 10 cities, including Rome, Bologna and Florence, with temperatures hitting 119.8°F (48.8°C). Another heatwave, dubbed Charon after the ferryman who delivered souls into the underworld, followed.
In early July, northern India was inundated by torrential rain, killing at least 22 people and causing landslides and flash floods across the region. New Delhi was lashed with 6 inches (15cms) of rain, the most it has received on a July day in over 40 years, shutting schools and causing chaos on the badly drained streets of the capital. The destruction was worse in Himachal Pradesh, where landslides blocked over 700 roads. And in Uttarakhand, people were advised to stay inside after the region received a month’s worth of rain in one day.
Arizona’s capital city, nicknamed the Valley of the Sun, gave us a terrifying insight into the impact of global warming after 31 consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 43°C (110°F) literally turned Phoenix into “hell on Earth, as described by local homeless person, Michael Shaw. The extreme heat saw the temperature of pavements hit a staggering 71°C (160°F), leaving thousands being treated for second-degree contact burns, 10 of which were serious enough to require hospitalisation. Those hit by heatstroke were given cold intravenous fluids or placed in makeshift baths filled with ice. “This is Arizona’s natural disaster,” said Michelle Litwin, Phoenix’s heat response programme manager. “Heat is our issue.”
As fires circled Palermo and much of Italy sweltered under record heat, northern Italy was battered by violent storms and high winds. Hailstones the size of tennis balls injured people, damaged cars and destroyed crops across the region, with emergency services responding to over 500 calls for assistance. In Seregno in Lombardy the hailstones joined together and floated down the flooded streets like sheets of Arctic ice. In Azzano Decimo in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Europe’s largest ever hailstone was recorded. The 7.5 inch (19cm) monster was only marginally smaller than the world record 8 inch (20cm) hailstone that fell on South Dakota in 2010.
Greece mounted its biggest evacuation ever as strong winds and the hottest July weekend in 50 years fanned a series of fierce wildfires across the tourist island of Rhodes. The country’s fire department said 19,000 people – mostly tourists in hotels – were transferred to safety by land and sea after the fires reached the seaside villages of Kiotari, Gennadi, Pefki, Lindos, Lardos and Kalathos. Most spent the night in gyms, school buildings, indoor stadiums and hotel conference centres on the island. Others scrambled for flights amid chaotic scenes at Diagoras International Airport. “We are in the seventh day of the fire and it hasn't been controlled,” Rhodes Deputy Mayor Konstantinos Taraslias told state broadcaster ERT on 24 July.
Tropical cyclone Doksuri brought torrential rain and widespread flooding to the Chinese capital, killing at least 11 people and seeing tens of thousands of people evacuated from their homes. The normally dry city received an entire month’s worth of rainfall over 48 hours – an average of nearly 7 inches (175.7mm) – causing flood waters that washed away cars, trapped residents in apartment buildings and saw rubbish dumps overflow and spill onto residential streets. Such was the scale of the disaster that Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an “all-out” search and rescue effort.
Southern California was hit with a one-two punch by Mother Nature on 20 August when a magnitude-5.1 earthquake hit the region just as it was being pummelled by high winds and torrential rains from the tail end of Hurricane Hilary. It was the first time a tropical storm had made landfall in Southern California since 1939 and the first magnitude-5.1 earthquake in the area since 1941. It saw millions of Southern Californians receive urgent back-to-back emergency alerts on their phones, the first warning of flash floods, the second about aftershocks. The hashtag #hurriquake quickly began trending on X (formerly Twitter).
British Columbia declared a state of emergency on 21 August as 380 fires raged across the province, with 150 of them burning out of control. The military was drafted in, 35,000 people were put under evacuation orders and non-essential travel was banned to free up accommodation. The main fire was centred around Kelowna, a city 180 miles (300km) east of Vancouver but severe drought conditions saw the blaze spread rapidly towards the border with the US Pacific Northwest and included the sighting of a rare tornado. “To get a fire whirl you need a really intense fire and strong winds,” said CBC climate specialist, Darius Mahdavi.
Heavy rain and violent winds battered northern Italy in the early hours of 31 October, even causing central Milan to flood (pictured) and beauty spot Lake Como to burst its banks. Waterside bars around the tourist favourite were flooded and mobile barriers erected by local authorities. The Seveso, a river that flows through Como, Monza, Monza e Brianza and Milan also breached its banks and branded parts of the fashion capital inaccessible.
After six years of severe drought the Somalian city of Baidoa was hit by heavy seasonal rains that the UN described as a “once-in-a-century event”. At least 50 people were killed and almost half a million people were forced to flee their homes. “Wells have been contaminated by sewage carried by the floods,” said Abdinasir Abdi Arush, the South West state’s minister for humanitarian affairs and disaster management. “People are in dire need of clean water.”
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