Major Climate Events this Summer
2023 broke several records in temperature, wildfires, and floods. This Storymap highlights the biggest stories from the past summer.
This StoryMap highlights some of the more significant climate-related events and disasters from the summer of 2023. It is by no means a comprehensive list; there are plenty of events that were left out.
This summer was the hottest on record for the Earth as a whole. Both June and July were the hottest they have ever been, and July 4 was the hottest day. Models predict a 50-80% chance that 2023 is the hottest year on record. Part of the significant temperature anomalies likely come from an El Niño event that was ramping up over the summer. El Niño is a regular climate pattern that creates warmer water in the south Pacific paired with the circulation of warmer air. This comes on top of human-caused climate change which is becoming increasingly evident. This summer saw a range of records and disasters that can be linked directly to climate change.
Temperature
The Hajj
Hajj is a yearly pilgrimage to Mecca by Muslims from across the globe. This year 1.8 million people participated and faced extreme heat at the outdoor event. Temperatures up to 48°C were recorded, causing thousands of cases of heat stroke and other complications. At least 230 people died as a result of this heat. The Hajj follows a lunar calendar and will continue to fall in the height of summer until 2027, raising concerns about further casualties.
Southern USA & Mexico
Louisiana, Texas, and Northern Mexico suffered through a heat dome in late June with temperatures consistently hovering at 40°C and peaking at 48°C. The non-profit Climate Central found that the heat dome was made 5 times more likely due to fossil fuel emissions. Surging use of A/C has put Texas' power grid under strain. The Louisiana Department of Health noted that Black people, who make up about a third of the population, are more likely to face heat-related health problems due to structural racism.
Beijing
The Chinese capital recorded highs over 40°C for 3 consecutive days at the end of June. Activists aimed to have people connect the heat to climate change and government policy. While the phenomenon is generally understood, discussing how policy should be changed is not socially accepted. President Xi Jinping stated that while China is committed to the Paris Accord, it will base its policy on domestic needs. The country is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter and continues to ramp up coal production.
Antarctica
Ukraine's Vernadsky Research Base in the white continent's Argentine Islands recorded a record July temperature of 8.7°C. This is 14 degrees higher than the average temperature across the whole year of about -4°C, despite it being the middle of the southern hemisphere's winter.
Wildfires
Greece
Major wildfires broke out on multiple islands and around Athens on the back of a heat wave that affected southern Europe and northern Africa in late July.
Quebec
Large areas of land burned uncontrollably after lightning had ignited hundreds of fires on dry ground. The smoke reached several major cities, creating concerns about human health. The fires made international news when the smoke reached New York City, which briefly had the worst air quality in the world.
British Columbia
Record-breaking wildfires spread through many areas of BC, especially in the Okanagan Valley. Researchers have pointed out that logging industry practices like removing hardwood trees and replanting swathes of coniferous trees create fires that are difficult to fight. The 4 most severe fire seasons have occurred in the past 7 years. The Provincial government aims to introduce new forestry policies to address industry practices.
Floods
North India
A record breaking monsoon created major flooding in North India including New Delhi. The mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh was hardest hit. Over 100 people died over 2 weeks, and there was major destruction to roads and power grids. This region of India experiences monsoons yearly, but they are becoming more extreme and erratic due to climate change.
Halifax
The Halifax region received a historic amount of rainfall on the weekend of July 21, causing devastating floods. The rainfall totalled 250mm within a single day, which is typically about 3 months' worth of rain for the region on average. The subsequent flooding was concentrated in the suburb of Bedford and the surroundings and destroyed 6 bridges while damaging 18. 4 people were initially considered missing and were later assumed to have been killed.
The flooding came less than 2 months after a historic wildfire burned 20,000ha and destroyed over 200 homes and structures in an overlapping area.
Libya
Catastrophic flash flooding hit the city of Derna, Libya in the second week of September after a storm caused two nearby dams to collapse. The flood destroyed countless buildings and is believed to have caused a death toll of over 11,000. Some Libyans as well as UN officials have pointed out that the dams were known to be in poor condition but nothing had been done. At the same time, some have celebrated the unity that the relief effort has brought to the politically divided country.