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Pictures | Mon Dec 13, 2021 | 9:26am EST

From killer heatwaves to floods, climate change worsened weather extremes in 2021

February -- A blistering cold spell hit normally warm Texas, killing 125 people in the state and leaving millions without power in freezing temperatures. Scientists have not yet reached a conclusion on whether climate change caused the extreme weather in Texas, but the warming of the Arctic is causing more unpredictable weather around the globe. PICTURED: A woman carries bottled water she received from a warming center and shelter after record-breaking winter temperatures in Galveston, Texas, February 17, 2021. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

February -- A blistering cold spell hit normally warm Texas, killing 125 people in the state and leaving millions without power in freezing temperatures. Scientists have not yet reached a conclusion on whether climate change caused the extreme...more

Reuters / Wednesday, February 17, 2021
February -- A blistering cold spell hit normally warm Texas, killing 125 people in the state and leaving millions without power in freezing temperatures. Scientists have not yet reached a conclusion on whether climate change caused the extreme weather in Texas, but the warming of the Arctic is causing more unpredictable weather around the globe. PICTURED: A woman carries bottled water she received from a warming center and shelter after record-breaking winter temperatures in Galveston, Texas, February 17, 2021. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
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Historically, frigid temperatures have been contained within the Arctic by a jet stream circling the polar region. But as the Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades, the polar jet stream may be carrying warmer air farther south. Overall damage to Texas and surrounding states is estimated at $20.8 billion, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. The storm was a wake-up call for U.S. energy regulators, who vowed to examine the threat climate change posed to the country's power supply. PICTURED: Guyler Antoine rests at a shelter run by the Salvation Army after winter weather caused electricity blackouts in Plano, Texas, February 18, 2021.  REUTERS/Shelby Tauber

Historically, frigid temperatures have been contained within the Arctic by a jet stream circling the polar region. But as the Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades, the polar jet stream may be...more

Reuters / Friday, February 19, 2021
Historically, frigid temperatures have been contained within the Arctic by a jet stream circling the polar region. But as the Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades, the polar jet stream may be carrying warmer air farther south. Overall damage to Texas and surrounding states is estimated at $20.8 billion, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. The storm was a wake-up call for U.S. energy regulators, who vowed to examine the threat climate change posed to the country's power supply. PICTURED: Guyler Antoine rests at a shelter run by the Salvation Army after winter weather caused electricity blackouts in Plano, Texas, February 18, 2021.  REUTERS/Shelby Tauber
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February -- Kenya and other parts of East Africa battled some of the worst locust plagues in decades, with the insects destroying crops and grazing grounds. Swarms, containing up to 80 million locusts per square meter, can travel up to 150 km (93 miles) a day and devour all vegetation in their path. Locust swarms have been recorded in the region since Biblical times. But scientists say that unusual weather patterns exacerbated by climate change created ideal conditions for insects to thrive. Warmer seas are creating more rain, waking dormant eggs, while cyclones that disperse the swarms are getting stronger and more frequent. PICTURED: A man tries to chase away a swarm of desert locusts away from a farm, near the town of Rumuruti, Kenya, February 1, 2021. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

February -- Kenya and other parts of East Africa battled some of the worst locust plagues in decades, with the insects destroying crops and grazing grounds. Swarms, containing up to 80 million locusts per square meter, can travel up to 150 km (93...more

Reuters / Monday, February 22, 2021
February -- Kenya and other parts of East Africa battled some of the worst locust plagues in decades, with the insects destroying crops and grazing grounds. Swarms, containing up to 80 million locusts per square meter, can travel up to 150 km (93 miles) a day and devour all vegetation in their path. Locust swarms have been recorded in the region since Biblical times. But scientists say that unusual weather patterns exacerbated by climate change created ideal conditions for insects to thrive. Warmer seas are creating more rain, waking dormant eggs, while cyclones that disperse the swarms are getting stronger and more frequent. PICTURED: A man tries to chase away a swarm of desert locusts away from a farm, near the town of Rumuruti, Kenya, February 1, 2021. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
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March -- Beijing's sky turned orange and flights were grounded during the Chinese capital's worst sandstorm in a decade. The region is prone to such storms because of its location near the massive Gobi desert, while deforestation and overgrazing have worsened the problem. PICTURED: A woman walks past Drum Tower during morning rush hour as Beijing, China, is hit by a sandstorm, March 15, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

March -- Beijing's sky turned orange and flights were grounded during the Chinese capital's worst sandstorm in a decade. The region is prone to such storms because of its location near the massive Gobi desert, while deforestation and overgrazing have...more

Reuters / Sunday, March 14, 2021
March -- Beijing's sky turned orange and flights were grounded during the Chinese capital's worst sandstorm in a decade. The region is prone to such storms because of its location near the massive Gobi desert, while deforestation and overgrazing have worsened the problem. PICTURED: A woman walks past Drum Tower during morning rush hour as Beijing, China, is hit by a sandstorm, March 15, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
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In an effort to combat these storms, China has engaged in a massive tree-planting mission over the past several decades, growing its total forest cover from less than 10% in 1949 to nearly a quarter of the country's land. Busloads of volunteers arrive in the desert each year to plant trees, which can stabilize the soil and serve as a wind buffer. This year's storm, however, highlighted concerns that the effects of climate change could outpace these efforts. Scientists predict climate change will worsen desertification, as hotter summers and drier winters reduce moisture levels. PICTURED: Wang Tianchang, 78, waters a tree planted on the edge of the Gobi desert on the outskirts of Wuwei, Gansu province, China, April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

In an effort to combat these storms, China has engaged in a massive tree-planting mission over the past several decades, growing its total forest cover from less than 10% in 1949 to nearly a quarter of the country's land. Busloads of volunteers...more

Reuters / Wednesday, June 02, 2021
In an effort to combat these storms, China has engaged in a massive tree-planting mission over the past several decades, growing its total forest cover from less than 10% in 1949 to nearly a quarter of the country's land. Busloads of volunteers arrive in the desert each year to plant trees, which can stabilize the soil and serve as a wind buffer. This year's storm, however, highlighted concerns that the effects of climate change could outpace these efforts. Scientists predict climate change will worsen desertification, as hotter summers and drier winters reduce moisture levels. PICTURED: Wang Tianchang, 78, waters a tree planted on the edge of the Gobi desert on the outskirts of Wuwei, Gansu province, China, April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
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June -- Nearly all of the western United States was gripped by a drought that emerged in early 2020. Farmers abandoned crops, officials announced emergency measures, and the Hoover Dam reservoir hit an all-time low level mark. By September, the U.S. government confirmed that over the prior 20 months, the Southwest experienced the lowest precipitation in over a century, and it linked the drought to climate change. Severe droughts around the world are now happening 1.7 times as often because of climate change and will get more frequent and severe as global warming continues, according to this year's report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). PICTURED: An aerial view shows new grass being watered on a golf course as California faces its worst drought since 1977, in La Quinta near Palm Springs, California, June 29, 2021. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci

June -- Nearly all of the western United States was gripped by a drought that emerged in early 2020. Farmers abandoned crops, officials announced emergency measures, and the Hoover Dam reservoir hit an all-time low level mark. By September, the U.S....more

Reuters / Wednesday, June 30, 2021
June -- Nearly all of the western United States was gripped by a drought that emerged in early 2020. Farmers abandoned crops, officials announced emergency measures, and the Hoover Dam reservoir hit an all-time low level mark. By September, the U.S. government confirmed that over the prior 20 months, the Southwest experienced the lowest precipitation in over a century, and it linked the drought to climate change. Severe droughts around the world are now happening 1.7 times as often because of climate change and will get more frequent and severe as global warming continues, according to this year's report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). PICTURED: An aerial view shows new grass being watered on a golf course as California faces its worst drought since 1977, in La Quinta near Palm Springs, California, June 29, 2021. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci
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June -- Hundreds of people died in North America during a record-smashing June heatwave in the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Northwest, which scientists concluded would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change. Over several days, power lines melted and roads buckled. Cities, struggling to cope with the heat, opened cooling centers to protect their residents, like the one shown here in Portland, Oregon. During the heatwave, Portland hit an all-time record high temperature of 116 Fahrenheit (46.7 Celsius). Scientists classified the heatwave as a once-in-a-thousand-year event, and said such events could start happening every five to 10 years by 2040 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Already, extreme heatwaves that previously struck only once every 50 years are happening once per decade, according to this year's report by the IPCC. PICTURED: People sleep at a cooling shelter set up during an unprecedented heat wave in Portland, Oregon, June 27, 2021. REUTERS/Maranie Staab

June -- Hundreds of people died in North America during a record-smashing June heatwave in the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Northwest, which scientists concluded would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change. Over several days, power...more

Reuters / Sunday, June 27, 2021
June -- Hundreds of people died in North America during a record-smashing June heatwave in the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Northwest, which scientists concluded would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change. Over several days, power lines melted and roads buckled. Cities, struggling to cope with the heat, opened cooling centers to protect their residents, like the one shown here in Portland, Oregon. During the heatwave, Portland hit an all-time record high temperature of 116 Fahrenheit (46.7 Celsius). Scientists classified the heatwave as a once-in-a-thousand-year event, and said such events could start happening every five to 10 years by 2040 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Already, extreme heatwaves that previously struck only once every 50 years are happening once per decade, according to this year's report by the IPCC. PICTURED: People sleep at a cooling shelter set up during an unprecedented heat wave in Portland, Oregon, June 27, 2021. REUTERS/Maranie Staab
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July -- Catastrophic flooding killed more than 300 people in central China's Henan province in July when a year's worth of rain fell in just three days. Direct economic losses reached 114.27 billion yuan ($18 billion), and more than a million farm animals were lost. PICTURED: A man holding a baby wades through a flooded road following heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China July 22, 2021.  REUTERS/Aly Song

July -- Catastrophic flooding killed more than 300 people in central China's Henan province in July when a year's worth of rain fell in just three days. Direct economic losses reached 114.27 billion yuan ($18 billion), and more than a million farm...more

Reuters / Thursday, July 22, 2021
July -- Catastrophic flooding killed more than 300 people in central China's Henan province in July when a year's worth of rain fell in just three days. Direct economic losses reached 114.27 billion yuan ($18 billion), and more than a million farm animals were lost. PICTURED: A man holding a baby wades through a flooded road following heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China July 22, 2021.  REUTERS/Aly Song
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Meanwhile in Europe, nearly 200 people died as torrential rains soaked Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany, which saw the worst flooding, had an estimated 37,000 buildings affected with reconstruction costs projected in the billions of euros. Scientists concluded that climate change had made the floods 20% more likely to occur. Warmer air can hold more moisture, increasing the likelihood of heavy rainfall once clouds break. A one degree Celsius rise corresponds to about a 7% increase in moisture that air can hold. So far, the average global temperature has risen around 1.2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. With additional warming, flooding events are projected to become more frequent and more severe. PICTURED: Caravans are destroyed in an area affected by floods caused by heavy rainfalls in Kreuzberg, Germany, July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

Meanwhile in Europe, nearly 200 people died as torrential rains soaked Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany, which saw the worst flooding, had an estimated 37,000 buildings affected with reconstruction costs projected in the billions of...more

Reuters / Monday, July 19, 2021
Meanwhile in Europe, nearly 200 people died as torrential rains soaked Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany, which saw the worst flooding, had an estimated 37,000 buildings affected with reconstruction costs projected in the billions of euros. Scientists concluded that climate change had made the floods 20% more likely to occur. Warmer air can hold more moisture, increasing the likelihood of heavy rainfall once clouds break. A one degree Celsius rise corresponds to about a 7% increase in moisture that air can hold. So far, the average global temperature has risen around 1.2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. With additional warming, flooding events are projected to become more frequent and more severe. PICTURED: Caravans are destroyed in an area affected by floods caused by heavy rainfalls in Kreuzberg, Germany, July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
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July -- A record heatwave and drought in the U.S. West gave rise to two massive wildfires that tore through California and Oregon. California's Dixie Fire destroyed more than 1,300 structures and consumed nearly 1 million acres (4,000 square km), making it the state's second-largest wildfire on record. PICTURED: The Dixie Fire, now over 200,000 acres, burns at night in Taylorsville, California, July 27, 2021.  REUTERS/David Swanson

July -- A record heatwave and drought in the U.S. West gave rise to two massive wildfires that tore through California and Oregon. California's Dixie Fire destroyed more than 1,300 structures and consumed nearly 1 million acres (4,000 square km),...more

Reuters / Wednesday, July 28, 2021
July -- A record heatwave and drought in the U.S. West gave rise to two massive wildfires that tore through California and Oregon. California's Dixie Fire destroyed more than 1,300 structures and consumed nearly 1 million acres (4,000 square km), making it the state's second-largest wildfire on record. PICTURED: The Dixie Fire, now over 200,000 acres, burns at night in Taylorsville, California, July 27, 2021.  REUTERS/David Swanson
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In Oregon, the Bootleg fire destroyed over 400,000 acres (1,600 square km) - more than half the landmass of Rhode Island, the U.S. Forest Service reported. Only two other Oregon wildfires over the last century have consumed more acreage, according to state forestry figures. Nationwide, more than 6.4 million acres (26,000 square km) have burned so far this year, and six people have died, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. The cost of the disasters is expected to total billions of dollars. Scientists say both the growing frequency and the intensity of wildfires are largely attributable to prolonged drought and increasing bouts of excessive heat from climate change. PICTURED: Thick smoke causes the sun to glow red over an abandoned farmhouse as the Bootleg Fire expands to over 200,000 acres, near Beatty, Oregon, July 13, 2021.  REUTERS/Mathieu Lewis-Rolland

In Oregon, the Bootleg fire destroyed over 400,000 acres (1,600 square km) - more than half the landmass of Rhode Island, the U.S. Forest Service reported. Only two other Oregon wildfires over the last century have consumed more acreage, according to...more

Reuters / Wednesday, July 14, 2021
In Oregon, the Bootleg fire destroyed over 400,000 acres (1,600 square km) - more than half the landmass of Rhode Island, the U.S. Forest Service reported. Only two other Oregon wildfires over the last century have consumed more acreage, according to state forestry figures. Nationwide, more than 6.4 million acres (26,000 square km) have burned so far this year, and six people have died, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. The cost of the disasters is expected to total billions of dollars. Scientists say both the growing frequency and the intensity of wildfires are largely attributable to prolonged drought and increasing bouts of excessive heat from climate change. PICTURED: Thick smoke causes the sun to glow red over an abandoned farmhouse as the Bootleg Fire expands to over 200,000 acres, near Beatty, Oregon, July 13, 2021.  REUTERS/Mathieu Lewis-Rolland
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July - Large parts of South America are suffering from a prolonged drought. While Chile is enduring a decade-long megadrought linked to global warming, this year Brazil saw one of its driest years in a century. In Argentina, the Parana, South America's second-longest river behind only the Amazon, fell to its lowest level since 1944. Around the globe, heatwaves are becoming both more frequent and more severe. PICTURED: Footsteps are pictured in a dried out wetland on the shore of the Parana River, in Rosario, Argentina, July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

July - Large parts of South America are suffering from a prolonged drought. While Chile is enduring a decade-long megadrought linked to global warming, this year Brazil saw one of its driest years in a century. In Argentina, the Parana, South...more

Reuters / Thursday, July 08, 2021
July - Large parts of South America are suffering from a prolonged drought. While Chile is enduring a decade-long megadrought linked to global warming, this year Brazil saw one of its driest years in a century. In Argentina, the Parana, South America's second-longest river behind only the Amazon, fell to its lowest level since 1944. Around the globe, heatwaves are becoming both more frequent and more severe. PICTURED: Footsteps are pictured in a dried out wetland on the shore of the Parana River, in Rosario, Argentina, July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
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August -- In the Mediterranean, a hot and dry summer fanned intense blazes that forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in Algeria, Greece and Turkey. The fires, which killed two people in Greece and at least 65 in Algeria, struck amid an intense heatwave, with some places in Greece recording temperatures of over 46 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit). Human-induced climate change is making heatwaves more likely and more severe, scientists say. Soon after the fires, the IPCC warned that the world was dangerously close to runaway warming. PICTURED: Locals evacuate the area with their animals as a wildfire rages in the suburb of Thrakomakedones, north of Athens, Greece, August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis

August -- In the Mediterranean, a hot and dry summer fanned intense blazes that forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in Algeria, Greece and Turkey. The fires, which killed two people in Greece and at least 65 in Algeria, struck amid an...more

Reuters / Thursday, November 18, 2021
August -- In the Mediterranean, a hot and dry summer fanned intense blazes that forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in Algeria, Greece and Turkey. The fires, which killed two people in Greece and at least 65 in Algeria, struck amid an intense heatwave, with some places in Greece recording temperatures of over 46 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit). Human-induced climate change is making heatwaves more likely and more severe, scientists say. Soon after the fires, the IPCC warned that the world was dangerously close to runaway warming. PICTURED: Locals evacuate the area with their animals as a wildfire rages in the suburb of Thrakomakedones, north of Athens, Greece, August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis
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Late August - Nearly all the world's mountain glaciers are retreating due to global warming. For more than a decade now, people have used insulating blankets to slow this retreat. In the Alps, Swiss resort employees laid protective blankets over one of Mount Titlis's glaciers during the summer months to preserve what ice is left. It took employees five to six weeks to lay the approximately 100,000 square meters of white polyester blankets, which reflect solar radiation away and protect the previous winter's snow. Switzerland already has lost 500 of its glaciers, and could lose 90% of the 1,500 that remain by the end of the century if global emissions continue to rise, the government said. PICTURED: A worker stands on blankets covering parts of the glacier to protect it against melting on Mount Titlis near the Alpine resort of Engelberg, Switzerland August 25, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Late August - Nearly all the world's mountain glaciers are retreating due to global warming. For more than a decade now, people have used insulating blankets to slow this retreat. In the Alps, Swiss resort employees laid protective blankets over one...more

Reuters / Friday, August 27, 2021
Late August - Nearly all the world's mountain glaciers are retreating due to global warming. For more than a decade now, people have used insulating blankets to slow this retreat. In the Alps, Swiss resort employees laid protective blankets over one of Mount Titlis's glaciers during the summer months to preserve what ice is left. It took employees five to six weeks to lay the approximately 100,000 square meters of white polyester blankets, which reflect solar radiation away and protect the previous winter's snow. Switzerland already has lost 500 of its glaciers, and could lose 90% of the 1,500 that remain by the end of the century if global emissions continue to rise, the government said. PICTURED: A worker stands on blankets covering parts of the glacier to protect it against melting on Mount Titlis near the Alpine resort of Engelberg, Switzerland August 25, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
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The rapid melting of glaciers is responsible for a significant portion of sea level rise, which in turn causes coastal flooding, habitat losses and coastal erosion. Glaciers are disappearing faster than initially expected because of giant ice caves that open up as they melt. When caves appear, warm air rushes through them until the cavity collapses. PICTURED: Glaciologist Andrea Fischer, from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, explores a natural glacier cavity of the Jamtalferner glacier near Galtuer, Austria, October 15, 2021. Giant ice caves have appeared in glaciers accelerating the melting process faster than expected as warmer air rushes through the ice mass until it collapses. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

The rapid melting of glaciers is responsible for a significant portion of sea level rise, which in turn causes coastal flooding, habitat losses and coastal erosion. Glaciers are disappearing faster than initially expected because of giant ice caves...more

Reuters / Tuesday, October 19, 2021
The rapid melting of glaciers is responsible for a significant portion of sea level rise, which in turn causes coastal flooding, habitat losses and coastal erosion. Glaciers are disappearing faster than initially expected because of giant ice caves that open up as they melt. When caves appear, warm air rushes through them until the cavity collapses. PICTURED: Glaciologist Andrea Fischer, from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, explores a natural glacier cavity of the Jamtalferner glacier near Galtuer, Austria, October 15, 2021. Giant ice caves have appeared in glaciers accelerating the melting process faster than expected as warmer air rushes through the ice mass until it collapses. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
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August/September -- Hurricane Ida, which hit Louisiana as a Category 4 storm, killed nearly 100 people in the United States and caused an estimated $64 billion in damage, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Climate change is strengthening hurricanes, while also causing them to linger longer over land -- dumping more rain on an area before moving on. Studies also suggest these storms are becoming more frequent in the North Atlantic. Ida damaged power lines across Louisiana and nearby states, leaving millions without power for days and parts of New Orleans in the dark for nearly a week. Even a month later some residents were still living in tents or out in the open. PICTURED: Theophilus Charles, 70, sits inside his house which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ida in Houma, Louisiana, August 30, 2021. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

August/September -- Hurricane Ida, which hit Louisiana as a Category 4 storm, killed nearly 100 people in the United States and caused an estimated $64 billion in damage, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Climate...more

Reuters / Monday, August 30, 2021
August/September -- Hurricane Ida, which hit Louisiana as a Category 4 storm, killed nearly 100 people in the United States and caused an estimated $64 billion in damage, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Climate change is strengthening hurricanes, while also causing them to linger longer over land -- dumping more rain on an area before moving on. Studies also suggest these storms are becoming more frequent in the North Atlantic. Ida damaged power lines across Louisiana and nearby states, leaving millions without power for days and parts of New Orleans in the dark for nearly a week. Even a month later some residents were still living in tents or out in the open. PICTURED: Theophilus Charles, 70, sits inside his house which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ida in Houma, Louisiana, August 30, 2021. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
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As the remnants of Ida moved inland, the heavy rains created flash flooding across the densely populated Northeast, vastly increasing the storm's death toll. PICTURED: First responders pull local residents in a boat as they perform rescues of people trapped by floodwaters after the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida brought drenching rain,  flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northeast in Mamaroneck, New York, September 2, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar

As the remnants of Ida moved inland, the heavy rains created flash flooding across the densely populated Northeast, vastly increasing the storm's death toll. PICTURED: First responders pull local residents in a boat as they perform rescues of people...more

Reuters / Thursday, September 02, 2021
As the remnants of Ida moved inland, the heavy rains created flash flooding across the densely populated Northeast, vastly increasing the storm's death toll. PICTURED: First responders pull local residents in a boat as they perform rescues of people trapped by floodwaters after the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida brought drenching rain,  flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northeast in Mamaroneck, New York, September 2, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar
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September -- Infrastructure and homes in Russia are increasingly in peril as underground permafrost melts and deforms the land underneath them. Russia could face 7 trillion roubles ($97 billion) in infrastructure damage by 2050 if the rate of warming continues, said Mikhail Zheleznyak, director of Yakutsk's Melnikov Permafrost Institute. PICTURED: Sergey Zimov, 66, a scientist who works at Russia's Northeast Science Station, checks for permafrost at the Pleistocene Park outside the town of Chersky, Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia, September 13, 2021. "This is one of the coldest places on Earth and there's no permafrost," said Zimov, of the Yakutia region where temperatures are rising at more than three times the world average. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

September -- Infrastructure and homes in Russia are increasingly in peril as underground permafrost melts and deforms the land underneath them. Russia could face 7 trillion roubles ($97 billion) in infrastructure damage by 2050 if the rate of warming...more

Reuters / Thursday, November 04, 2021
September -- Infrastructure and homes in Russia are increasingly in peril as underground permafrost melts and deforms the land underneath them. Russia could face 7 trillion roubles ($97 billion) in infrastructure damage by 2050 if the rate of warming continues, said Mikhail Zheleznyak, director of Yakutsk's Melnikov Permafrost Institute. PICTURED: Sergey Zimov, 66, a scientist who works at Russia's Northeast Science Station, checks for permafrost at the Pleistocene Park outside the town of Chersky, Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia, September 13, 2021. "This is one of the coldest places on Earth and there's no permafrost," said Zimov, of the Yakutia region where temperatures are rising at more than three times the world average. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
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Permafrost was once a stable construction base, in some regions staying frozen as far back as the last Ice Age. But rising global temperatures threaten the layer of ice, soil, rocks, sand and organic matter. The melting has been further sped up by heavier rains soaking the earth, human activity destabilizing the ground above it, and more frequent and hotter fires. The Northern Hemisphere's permafrost holds about 1.5 trillion tonnes of carbon, scientists estimate -- about twice what's in the atmosphere now. As the frozen lands thaw, organic matter long trapped within the ice begins to decompose, a process that releases even more planet-warming carbon dioxide and methane. PICTURED: A house located on land that has been deformed by permafrost thaw at a former airfield stands in the village of Churapcha in Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia, September 5, 2021. These hills and pitted reliefs are typical in places where the permafrost has degraded, producing what is known as "thermokarst" terrain. Like cities and towns across northern and northeastern Russia, Churapcha is suffering the consequences of climate change thawing the permafrost on which everything is built. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Permafrost was once a stable construction base, in some regions staying frozen as far back as the last Ice Age. But rising global temperatures threaten the layer of ice, soil, rocks, sand and organic matter. The melting has been further sped up by...more

Reuters / Thursday, November 04, 2021
Permafrost was once a stable construction base, in some regions staying frozen as far back as the last Ice Age. But rising global temperatures threaten the layer of ice, soil, rocks, sand and organic matter. The melting has been further sped up by heavier rains soaking the earth, human activity destabilizing the ground above it, and more frequent and hotter fires. The Northern Hemisphere's permafrost holds about 1.5 trillion tonnes of carbon, scientists estimate -- about twice what's in the atmosphere now. As the frozen lands thaw, organic matter long trapped within the ice begins to decompose, a process that releases even more planet-warming carbon dioxide and methane. PICTURED: A house located on land that has been deformed by permafrost thaw at a former airfield stands in the village of Churapcha in Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia, September 5, 2021. These hills and pitted reliefs are typical in places where the permafrost has degraded, producing what is known as "thermokarst" terrain. Like cities and towns across northern and northeastern Russia, Churapcha is suffering the consequences of climate change thawing the permafrost on which everything is built. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
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November - The worst floods in 60 years in South Sudan have affected about 780,000 people, or one in every 14 residents, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Every year the county goes through a rainy season, but flooding has set records for three years in a row. The destruction will likely increase as temperatures rise, scientists say. Africa is responsible for the least amount of climate-warming emissions, but will suffer some of the worst consequences from climate change. The U.N. ranks South Sudan among the top five most climate-vulnerable countries. Increased droughts combined with more erratic rainfall that causes flooding add to South Sudan's challenges of poverty, conflict and food shortages. PICTURED: A view shows houses submerged in flood waters in Baar, Rubkona, Unity State, South Sudan as seen in this image taken by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on November 27, 2021. Picture taken November 27, 2021.  Njiiri Karago/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout via REUTERS

November - The worst floods in 60 years in South Sudan have affected about 780,000 people, or one in every 14 residents, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Every year the county goes through a rainy season, but flooding has set records for three...more

Reuters / Friday, December 03, 2021
November - The worst floods in 60 years in South Sudan have affected about 780,000 people, or one in every 14 residents, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Every year the county goes through a rainy season, but flooding has set records for three years in a row. The destruction will likely increase as temperatures rise, scientists say. Africa is responsible for the least amount of climate-warming emissions, but will suffer some of the worst consequences from climate change. The U.N. ranks South Sudan among the top five most climate-vulnerable countries. Increased droughts combined with more erratic rainfall that causes flooding add to South Sudan's challenges of poverty, conflict and food shortages. PICTURED: A view shows houses submerged in flood waters in Baar, Rubkona, Unity State, South Sudan as seen in this image taken by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on November 27, 2021. Picture taken November 27, 2021.  Njiiri Karago/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout via REUTERS
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November -- A massive storm dumped a month's worth of rain over two days in the Canadian province of British Columbia unleashing floods and mudslides that destroyed roads, railroads and bridges. It is likely the most expensive natural disaster in Canada's history, although officials are still assessing the damage. Meteorologists said the rain had come from an atmospheric river, or a stream of water vapor stretching hundreds of miles long from the tropics. Atmospheric rivers are expected to become larger -- and possibly more destructive -- with climate change, scientists say. PICTURED: Cows that were stranded in a flooded barn are rescued by a group of people after rainstorms lashed the western Canadian province of British Columbia, triggering landslides and floods, shutting highways, in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada November 16, 2021.  REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier

November -- A massive storm dumped a month's worth of rain over two days in the Canadian province of British Columbia unleashing floods and mudslides that destroyed roads, railroads and bridges. It is likely the most expensive natural disaster in...more

Reuters / Tuesday, November 16, 2021
November -- A massive storm dumped a month's worth of rain over two days in the Canadian province of British Columbia unleashing floods and mudslides that destroyed roads, railroads and bridges. It is likely the most expensive natural disaster in Canada's history, although officials are still assessing the damage. Meteorologists said the rain had come from an atmospheric river, or a stream of water vapor stretching hundreds of miles long from the tropics. Atmospheric rivers are expected to become larger -- and possibly more destructive -- with climate change, scientists say. PICTURED: Cows that were stranded in a flooded barn are rescued by a group of people after rainstorms lashed the western Canadian province of British Columbia, triggering landslides and floods, shutting highways, in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada November 16, 2021.  REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier
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The storm, which killed four people, also exposed fragility in Canada's supply chain, with the storm cutting off access to a key Vancouver shipping terminal in one of the world's biggest exporting nations. PICTURED: A home surrounded by floodwaters in the Yarrow neighbourhood after rainstorms caused flooding and landslides in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada November 20, 2021.  REUTERS/Jesse Winter

The storm, which killed four people, also exposed fragility in Canada's supply chain, with the storm cutting off access to a key Vancouver shipping terminal in one of the world's biggest exporting nations. PICTURED: A home surrounded by floodwaters...more

Reuters / Saturday, November 20, 2021
The storm, which killed four people, also exposed fragility in Canada's supply chain, with the storm cutting off access to a key Vancouver shipping terminal in one of the world's biggest exporting nations. PICTURED: A home surrounded by floodwaters in the Yarrow neighbourhood after rainstorms caused flooding and landslides in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada November 20, 2021.  REUTERS/Jesse Winter
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In pictures: Night of devastating tornadoes likely kills more than 100 in Kentucky

In pictures: Night of devastating tornadoes likely...

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In pictures: Night of devastating tornadoes likely kills more than 100 in Kentucky

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