Climate change and global warming grabbed the headlines in 2022. And not just in theory, but we actually got to witness some massive weather catastrophes that experts blamed on the two phenomena. This was the year when some parts of the world faced a deluge, while others witnessed unprecedented droughts and wildfires. Let's take a look at some such weather events from the year 2022.

The heatwave and wildfires

Argentina faced a historic heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in January. The country was for a while the hottest place on the planet, straining power grids and forcing residents to seeking sanctuary in the shade.&nbsp;

As the year progressed, heatwaves gripped the world. Pakistan issued a heat warning after the hottest March in 61 years. India suffered its hottest March in more than 100 years and April saw many places, including New Delhi, recording unusually high temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius on most days.

The extreme heat led to several wildfires in June, with authorities across southern Europe battling to control a bunch of them. Spain, Greece and France saw numerous wildfires with hundreds of deaths blamed on soaring temperatures that scientists pinned on climate change.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/emergency-declared-in-canadas-province-due-to-wildfires-the-worst-in-50-years-504997">Emergency declared in Canada's province due to wildfires, the worst in 50 years</a>

A fast-moving wildfire just west of Yosemite National Park suddenly and unpredictably grew into one of the largest fires of the year, forcing thousands of evacuations. Firefighters deployed air tankers, bulldozers and hand crews to battle the huge blaze. Heat warnings were issued from New York City to Las Vegas as temperatures rose well above 38 Celsius, part of a trend of extreme weather made worse by climate change.

Mexico experienced one of the worst droughts in 30 years. July was the second hottest month in Mexico since 1953, according to the national weather service, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius in some areas.

A prolonged dry spell and extreme heat made July the hottest month in Spain since at least 1961. Europe's worst drought in years pushed the Danube river to one of its lowest levels in almost a century, exposing the hulks of dozens of explosives-laden German warships sunk during World War Two.

A drought and a heatwave in China’s southwestern region led to the Yangtze’s water levels falling rapidly. As the water levels fell, it revealed a submerged island with three Buddhist statues believed to be 600 years old.

Death Valley in California recorded the hottest-ever September day to be witnessed anywhere on the planet. Thermometers briefly nudged touched 53°C in Furnace Creek on September 1, surpassing the previous September record of 52.2°C.

The floods

Heavy rains deluged Australia's east coast on March 30, submerging entire towns. Thousands of people were forced to fled their homes for the second time within weeks after fast-moving flood waters burst river banks. Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was also hit by a heavy rains that caused mudslides and killed at least 14 people in southern coastal cities on April 2.

Floods and landslides became a common problem&nbsp;across the world. Tropical storm Megi hit Philippines in April, killing at least 25 people in landslides and floods. Heavy rains in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province triggered floods and mudslides that killed more than 440 people.

At least 16 people were killed after sudden rains triggered flash floods during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in Indian Kashmir in July.

The year's biggest climate catastrophe was witnessed in Pakistan, where flash floods caused by abnormally heavy monsoon rains killed over 1,700 people. Over 33 million people were affected since mid-June. It is the world's deadliest flood since the 2020 South Asian floods. The Pakistan government estimated losses worth US$40 billion.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-floods-un-expresses-concern-over-34-million-children-in-need-of-lifesaving-support-517484">Pakistan floods: UN expresses concern over 3.4 million children in need of lifesaving support</a>

Floods engulfed several countries towards the later part of the year. At least 25 people died and 52 were missing after five small rivers in central Venezuela flooded due to heavy rains in October. Widespread flooding killed more than 500 people in Nigeria and left around 90,000 homes under water. Thousands of people across Australia's southeast were asked to evacuate their homes on October 14, including some in a western suburb of Melbourne, after two days of incessant rains triggered flash flooding and fast-moving waters burst river banks.

The storms&nbsp;

Tropical Storm Ana passed over Madagascar on January 22 and killed at least 88 people and displaced 130,000 across southern and eastern Africa. Madagascar was hit by a second destructive storm in two weeks when Cyclone Batsirai which killed 120.&nbsp;

Philippines was hit by Typhoon Noru in September and killed at least eight people when it made landfall on September 25. It flooded farmlands and communities and damaged crops, mainly rice.

Hurricane Ian came next, wreaking havoc in several regions. It made landfall in Cuba's Pinar del Rio Province early on September 27, leading to power cuts and evacuation of 40,000 people from low-lying coastal areas. The town of Fort Myers Beach in Florida was one of the communities hit hardest by Ian that made landfall as a Category 4 storm, killing more than 100 people in the state.&nbsp;

Other events blamed on climate change

Jerusalem was blanketed by a rare heavy snowfall, some of northern Israel and hilly areas in the occupied West Bank overnight into January 27, shutting down roads and schools.

At least 11 people died when a glacier collapsed in the Alps in an incident that was blamed on rising temperatures.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Climate change and global warming grabbed the headlines in 2022. And not just in theory, but we actually got to witness some massive weather catastrophes that experts blamed on the two phenomena.

Climate change and global warming grabbed the headlines in 2022. And not just in theory, but we actually got to witness some massive weather catastrophes that experts blamed on the two phenomena. This was the year when some parts of the world faced a deluge, while others witnessed unprecedented droughts and wildfires. Let's take a look at some such weather events from the year 2022. The heatwave and wildfires Argentina faced a historic heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in January. The country was for a while the hottest place on the planet, straining power grids and forcing residents to seeking sanctuary in the shade. As the year progressed, heatwaves gripped the world. Pakistan issued a heat warning after the hottest March in 61 years. India suffered its hottest March in more than 100 years and April saw many places, including New Delhi, recording unusually high temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius on most days. The extreme heat led to several wildfires in June, with authorities across southern Europe battling to control a bunch of them. Spain, Greece and France saw numerous wildfires with hundreds of deaths blamed on soaring temperatures that scientists pinned on climate change. Also Read | Emergency declared in Canada's province due to wildfires, the worst in 50 years A fast-moving wildfire just west of Yosemite National Park suddenly and unpredictably grew into one of the largest fires of the year, forcing thousands of evacuations. Firefighters deployed air tankers, bulldozers and hand crews to battle the huge blaze. Heat warnings were issued from New York City to Las Vegas as temperatures rose well above 38 Celsius, part of a trend of extreme weather made worse by climate change. Mexico experienced one of the worst droughts in 30 years. July was the second hottest month in Mexico since 1953, according to the national weather service, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius in some areas. A prolonged dry spell and extreme heat made July the hottest month in Spain since at least 1961. Europe's worst drought in years pushed the Danube river to one of its lowest levels in almost a century, exposing the hulks of dozens of explosives-laden German warships sunk during World War Two. A drought and a heatwave in China’s southwestern region led to the Yangtze’s water levels falling rapidly. As the water levels fell, it revealed a submerged island with three Buddhist statues believed to be 600 years old. Death Valley in California recorded the hottest-ever September day to be witnessed anywhere on the planet. Thermometers briefly nudged touched 53°C in Furnace Creek on September 1, surpassing the previous September record of 52.2°C. The floods Heavy rains deluged Australia's east coast on March 30, submerging entire towns. Thousands of people were forced to fled their homes for the second time within weeks after fast-moving flood waters burst river banks. Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was also hit by a heavy rains that caused mudslides and killed at least 14 people in southern coastal cities on April 2. Floods and landslides became a common problem across the world. Tropical storm Megi hit Philippines in April, killing at least 25 people in landslides and floods. Heavy rains in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province triggered floods and mudslides that killed more than 440 people. At least 16 people were killed after sudden rains triggered flash floods during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in Indian Kashmir in July. The year's biggest climate catastrophe was witnessed in Pakistan, where flash floods caused by abnormally heavy monsoon rains killed over 1,700 people. Over 33 million people were affected since mid-June. It is the world's deadliest flood since the 2020 South Asian floods. The Pakistan government estimated losses worth US$40 billion. Also Read | Pakistan floods: UN expresses concern over 3.4 million children in need of lifesaving support Floods engulfed several countries towards the later part of the year. At least 25 people died and 52 were missing after five small rivers in central Venezuela flooded due to heavy rains in October. Widespread flooding killed more than 500 people in Nigeria and left around 90,000 homes under water. Thousands of people across Australia's southeast were asked to evacuate their homes on October 14, including some in a western suburb of Melbourne, after two days of incessant rains triggered flash flooding and fast-moving waters burst river banks. The storms Tropical Storm Ana passed over Madagascar on January 22 and killed at least 88 people and displaced 130,000 across southern and eastern Africa. Madagascar was hit by a second destructive storm in two weeks when Cyclone Batsirai which killed 120. Philippines was hit by Typhoon Noru in September and killed at least eight people when it made landfall on September 25. It flooded farmlands and communities and damaged crops, mainly rice. Hurricane Ian came next, wreaking havoc in several regions. It made landfall in Cuba's Pinar del Rio Province early on September 27, leading to power cuts and evacuation of 40,000 people from low-lying coastal areas. The town of Fort Myers Beach in Florida was one of the communities hit hardest by Ian that made landfall as a Category 4 storm, killing more than 100 people in the state. Other events blamed on climate change Jerusalem was blanketed by a rare heavy snowfall, some of northern Israel and hilly areas in the occupied West Bank overnight into January 27, shutting down roads and schools. At least 11 people died when a glacier collapsed in the Alps in an incident that was blamed on rising temperatures. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Merciless weather owed to climate change thrashed the world in 2022

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Merciless weather owed to climate change thrashed the world in 2022