A false-color image of flooding left by torrential rain in the Tuscany region of Italy in November. The region saw record-high rainfall, with some parts recording eight inches of rain in a 24-hour period, more than Tuscany typically receives all November. NASA
This year will conclude as the hottest on record, with warming reaching new highs in the final months of 2023. Unprecedented heat helped fuel another year of extreme weather.
From the worst wildfire season in Canadian history to the strongest cyclone ever recorded, 2023 saw record weather disasters worldwide. These satellite images, from NASA’s Earth Observatory, show the startling impact of extreme weather in 2023. Click photos to enlarge.
California's Sierra Nevada range in April 2022 and April 2023, after a series of atmospheric rivers blanketed the mountains in snow. The water contained in mountain snow reached its highest level since record-keeping began in 2000. NASA
Southern Malawai before and after Cyclone Freddy, the strongest cyclone ever recorded, unloaded six months' of rain in less than a week in early March. The Ruo River, shown here, broke its banks, laying waste to surrounding croplands. More than 2 million farmers lost their crops, and many are still struggling to recover. NASA
Smoke from wildfires in Canada's Northwest Territories in August. Burned woodlands are gray, while unburned woodlands are green. This year Canada endured its worst wildfire season on record, with flames scorching an area the size of Alabama. NASA
Wildfire smoke from Canada blows over Portugal and Spain. The wildfires in eastern Canada produced so much smoke that a cloud of haze could be seen wafting across the Atlantic and over Europe. NASA
False-color images of the Cyrenaica region of Libya before and after a spate of heavy rainfall in September inundated low-lying areas. The coastal city of Al Bayda recorded 16 inches in one day, while the nearby city of Derna saw 4 inches of rain, more than it typically receives in all of September. Heavy rainfall led to the collapse of two dams in Derna, flooding the city. NASA
Smoke from wildfires along the Amazon River near the Brazilian city of Manaus in October. With Brazil and Colombia stepping up enforcement, forest loss is down significantly in the Amazon this year. But the region is also undergoing its worst drought in decades, causing the number of wildfires to spike. NASA
