2022: The year the climate crisis hit home

Europe's summer saw extreme heat and the worst drought in 500 years. More than 500 people died in record heat waves in Spain, with temperatures rising to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). In the United Kingdom, the mercury soared to more than 40 degrees Celsius. Parts of the continent were the driest they'd been in more than a millennium, and many regions were forced to ration water.

From Portugal, Spain and France in the west, to Italy, Greece and Cyprus in the east and Siberia in the north, the continent went up in flames. Fires had already engulfed 660,000 hectares (1,630,896 acres) of land by the middle of the year — the largest area since records began in 2006.

Extreme monsoon rains inundated Pakistan, submerging a third of the country. The flooding killed over 1,100 people, left 33 million homeless and caused the spread of disease. Heavy rains also hit Afghanistan. The extreme deluge destroyed thousands of hectares of land, worsening already acute hunger in the country.

Before the flooding, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India suffered extreme heat and drought. China, meanwhile, experienced its worst drought in 60 years and worst heat wave since records began. By early autumn, 12 typhoons had already raged through the country. Major storms also hit the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and Bangladesh. Climate change is making such storms stronger.

Africa is heating faster than much of the world. That's why the continent is being hit disproportionately by changing rainfall patterns, drought and flooding. Somalia is currently dealing with its most severe drought in 40 years. The crisis has forced more than a million people to leave their homes.

Flooding and major drought have made agriculture and livestock farming practically impossible in certain parts of Africa. As a result, millions of people are experiencing hunger. Many have already died of starvation in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.

Severe storms raged through the US states of California, Nevada and Arizona. A heat dome scorched all three states with temperatures hitting more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in late summer. In contrast, heavy rainfall earlier in the summer caused severe flooding in Yellowstone National Park, as well as in the state of Kentucky.

In September, Hurricane Ian devastated the US state of Florida. Local authorities described the damage as "historic." Ian had previously gone through Cuba, where residents lived without power for days. Earlier that month, Hurricane Fiona became the worst tropical cyclone to hit Canada after first slamming into Latin America and the Caribbean, causing severe damage.

Hurricane Fiona wasn't the only storm to hit Central America. In October, Hurricane Julia pummeled Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, causing widespread devastation. Global heating is increasing ocean surface temperatures, which is making hurricanes worse.

Persistent drought has gripped almost the entire South American continent. Chile, for instance, has been suffering from an extreme lack of rainfall since 2007. In many regions, streams and rivers have shrunk by between 50 and 90%. Mexico has seen barely any rain for several years in a row. Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Panama and parts of Ecuador and Colombia are also living with drought.

Intense rainfall led to extreme flooding in Australia several times in 2022. Between January and March, the country's east coast received about as much rainfall as Germany experiences in a year. New Zealand didn't escape the deluge. While the weather phenomenon La Nina was behind the extreme events, climate change intensified its effects. Warmer atmospheres absorb more water, increasing rainfall.