Time and again we have been reminded by nature to be mindful of our activities in the form of climate events like heavy rains, storms, snow, etc. But this year has been extraordinarily different in the sense of extreme weather events across the world.
To put simply, no part of the world could escape the effects of climate change.
1. An extraordinary heatwave swept the west of the US and Canada this summer.
The temperature in the Death Valley of California hit 54.4°C (130F). All heat records were shattered when Lytton in British Columbia recorded a temperature of 49.6°C.
The median lane of westbound Chief Peguis Trail, west of Henderson Highway, is currently closed due to concrete damage from today’s heat. The closure is expected to last until Wednesday, June 9. Drivers are advised to take caution in the area. pic.twitter.com/yY1LPfkjVV
— City of Winnipeg (@cityofwinnipeg) June 5, 2021
2. Russia suffered its worst heatwave in 142 years as Moscow recorded record high temperatures of 34.8°C.
Moscow bakes in soaring temperatures.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 15, 2021
The meteorological service says Russia could see its hottest summer in 120 years after a record-breaking heatwave in June.
Notorious for his scepticism about global warming, Putin now says climate change is a priority
📸 Alexander Nemenov pic.twitter.com/iUeCpdV17Y
About 8,00,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed in Russia due to heatwave.
3. Floods in Western Europe have caused severe devastation in Germany, Belgium, and a few other neighbouring countries.
At least 110 people in Germany and Belgium have been killed by floods after 2 months of rain fell in 2 days.
— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 16, 2021
Over 1,300 people in Germany are missing.
A German official said the climate crisis “isn’t abstract anymore. We are experiencing it up close and painfully.” pic.twitter.com/9dDnr9E4YD
My brain can’t even compute this image from the flooding in Germany pic.twitter.com/nOT7fDTznB
— Read Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (@JoshuaPotash) July 16, 2021
4. Spain was hit by record-breaking cold weather and worst snowstorm in decades in January, this year.
5. Flash floods and landslides from torrential rains killed hundreds and displaced thousands in eastern Indonesia.
6. A cold snap gripped South Korea as it recorded its coldest day in 35 years and the overnight temperatures hit -18.6ºC.
7. In a once in a century event, Texas was hit by a powerful polar vortex leading to record cold temperatures.
There were power outages and electricitty was cut off to millions of people creating a situation of a humanitarian crisis.
Sympathies from Houston. It’s terrible here pic.twitter.com/JKY1jn6BIg
— 🌸Beau (@PastureSociety) February 16, 2021
8. The skies in Beijing turned orange due to a massive sandstorm. It was hit by 3 sandstorms in five weeks.
This was believed to be the worst sandstorm in decades in Beijing.
Beijing and other parts of northern China hit by biggest sandstorm in 10 years; at least 6 dead, 81 missing in neighboring Mongolia pic.twitter.com/rlJa0stgRf
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 15, 2021