One after another, records for extreme weather events have tumbled in 2023, as temperatures alongside skyrocketed. Deadly floods, heatwaves and storms have unfolded against the backdrop of what climate scientists say is set to be the world's hottest year on record, with observations stretching back to the 1800s. 

The world, on average, has seen about 1.46 degrees Celsius (2.63 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming above pre-industrial temperatures this year, with global greenhouse gas emissions hitting new highs. 

Every new benchmark brings crippling economic losses and untold human suffering to communities across the world.

This year's added warming has been like pouring gasoline on a fire. Extreme weather events became more extreme, while warmer ocean waters fed stronger storms. Heatwaves persisted for weeks instead of days and wildfires, feeding on dry forests and high temperatures, burned out of control. 

Here is a look at the extreme weather occurrences in 2023.

 

January

In January, Afghanistan experienced a drastic drop in temperatures to -28 degrees Celsius, significantly below the usual average for that time of the year. This extreme cold weather led to the loss of 78 human lives and 77,000 livestock.

The U.S. state of California was battered by wind and rain as storms lined up over the Pacific. Meteorologists called the prolonged bout of precipitation an "atmospheric river" and by January 11, 90 percent of the state was under flood watch. 

Meanwhile, Europe experienced its second-warmest winter on record. A robust winter heat dome descended upon the continent leading to the temporary closure of numerous ski resorts due to insufficient snowfall.

The Kimberley region in northwest Western Australia experienced the worst flooding in the state's history in January.

 

February

In February, Cyclone Freddy hit southern Africa, making landfall and circling back in March. The cyclone caused extensive damage as it tore through Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar, killing more than 1,000 people.

Over half a million people were displaced and more than two million were affected by the storm. According to Space.com, the cyclone might be deemed "the most energetic and long-lasting storm ever recorded." 

Devastating landslides triggered by torrential rains in southeastern Brazil's Sao Paulo killed at least 65 people. NASA reported that certain areas of the state received over 68 centimeters of rain in a single day.

The early days of February saw much of the southern U.S. buried in snow as Storm Mara brought heavy snow and ice to the area. 

Cyclone Gabrielle relentlessly pounded the North Island of New Zealand for four days, leaving behind a staggering path of devastation.

 

March

In March, almost 41,000 residents in southern Malaysia were forced to evacuate their homes due to severe flooding, killing four people.

In March, southern California experienced yet another winter storm, this time affecting the Los Angeles region. These storms pushed the snow line down to as low as 300 meters above sea level, and the snowpack level in the Sierra Nevada mountains reached 189 percent of the average for March 1. Meteorologists are deeming this occurrence a once-in-a-generation event.

Unprecedented snow storms in California forced the closure of the iconic Yosemite National Park. 

Spain's first major wildfire of the year forced 1,500 people to flee their homes near Villanueva de Viver, 90 kilometers north of Valencia.

Massive flash floods that turned the streets of the Turkish provinces of Adiyaman and Sanliurfa into rivers are said to have killed 16 people in March. These regions had experienced exceptionally severe earthquake damage a month before.

April

At the end of April 2023, a large part of southwestern Europe and Northern Africa recorded extremely high temperatures usually only seen in July and August. In Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Algeria, temperatures were up to 20 degrees Celsius higher than normally at this time of year. 

Several local April records were broken across Morocco as temperatures exceeded 41 degrees Celsius in some cities such as Sidi-Slimane, Marrakech and Taroudant. 

In the last two weeks of April 2023, many parts of Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Lao PDR experienced extreme temperatures. These record high temperatures, combined with humidity, caused a sudden surge in heatstroke cases, roads melting and an increase of electricity demand in all four countries. 

 

May

On the weekend of May 6-7, Southeast Asia experienced a relentless heatwave, breaking all-time high temperature records across the region.

On May 14, Myanmar was struck by the devastating Cyclone Mocha, killing around 463 people. This cyclone, which also affected parts of Bangladesh, ranked among the most powerful storms to hit the region in this century, with wind speeds reaching 209 km/h.

An intense and prolonged period of heavy rainfall resulted in severe flooding in Emilia-Romagna, a prosperous region in Italy. This rare one-in-200-year extreme weather event caused 17 fatalities and forced 50,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Across the western Canadian province of Alberta, unprecedented drought conditions, together with sustained northward winds, made it difficult for firefighters to tackle over 90 wildfires. Twenty-seven of these fires were classified as out of control, prompting evacuation orders for 30,000 residents.

The same month, floods killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.

 

June

Wildfires struck Canada's Quebec – and 13 U.S. states were issued with air quality alerts. 

Throughout June, Texas and most of the southwest endured the oppressive conditions of a 'heat dome', resulting in three consecutive weeks of record-breaking temperatures. In Corpus Christi, the mercury soared to a staggering 51 degrees Celsius on multiple days.

Southern Europe experienced a scorching heatwave that brought record-breaking temperatures. Tourists were seen fainting outside the Colosseum in Rome. Satellite images from the Copernicus Sentinel mission revealed that the land temperature in Spain's Extremadura region hit 60 degrees Celsius. Italy issued a red alert warning for 10 cities, including Rome, Bologna, and Florence, where temperatures soared to 48.8 degrees Celsius.

In early July, northern India faced severe flooding due to heavy rainfall, killing at least 22 lives and causing landslides and flash floods throughout the region. New Delhi experienced an extraordinary deluge of 15 centimeters of rain, marking the highest rainfall on a July day in over 40 years. The intense precipitation led to the closure of schools and chaotic conditions on the inadequately drained streets of the capital.

Arizona's capital Phoenix suffered 31 consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 43 degrees Celsius, turning the city into "hell on Earth." The extreme heat saw the temperature of pavements hit a staggering 71 degrees Celsius, leaving thousands being treated for second-degree contact burns.

July

Apocalyptic fires blazed through northeastern Greece following weeks of intense heat which saw the Acropolis briefly close to tourists. The fires were the worst on European soil in decades, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, burning an area larger than New York City and costing the country some $1.8 billion.

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. Beijing, usually a dry city, received an entire month's worth of rainfall in just 48 hours.

 

August

In early August 2023, a series of wildfires hit Hawaii, primarily on the island of Maui. Fueled by strong winds, these fires led to evacuations, caused extensive damage, and killed at least 100 people. 

On August 20, southern California was hit by a magnitude-5.1 earthquake that struck the region concurrently with the area being battered by high winds and heavy rainfall from the trailing edge of Hurricane Hilary.

In Canada, British Columbia declared a state of emergency on August 21 as 380 fires raged across the province, with 150 of them burning out of control. 

 

September

South Africa's Western Cape province experienced severe rainfall, causing floods and leaving behind a trail of destruction.

September 2023 wasn't simply the warmest September on record, but "far and away the most atypically warm month of any in NOAA's 174 years of climate keeping," said U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Sarah Kapnick.

October

Heavy rain and strong winds battered northern Italy on October 31, causing central Milan to flood while Lake Como burst its banks. 

October marked the fifth consecutive record-breaking month, establishing 2023 as the warmest year ever recorded.

 

November

Following six years of severe drought, the Somalian city of Baidoa faced the impact of heavy seasonal rains characterized by the UN as a "once-in-a-century event." Tragically, at least 50 people lost their lives, and nearly half a million individuals were forced to evacuate their homes.

November once again was the warmest November ever recorded. And on November 17 and 18, the Earth's global average surface temperature was more than two degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels – the first time scientists have ever recorded such a reading. 

Brazil – currently in the Southern Hemisphere's summer – recorded its highest temperature ever as the southeastern town of Aracuai simmered at 44.8 degrees Celsius on November 19 as the full weight of El Nino bore down. 

 

December

As world leaders sought to bring an end to fossil fuels at the United Nations climate summit COP28 in Dubai, scientists say the record-breaking extremes of 2023 serve as a sobering warning of what's to come if society doesn't curtail its use of coal, oil and gas.

With El Nino set to reach its full strength in the Northern Hemisphere winter, more extreme weather events are likely to be unleashed around the world in 2024.

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