In early January, parts of central Spain were chilled by an intense winter storm. Temperatures plunged to a frosty -25°C (-13°F) in Molina de Aragón and Teruel, just east of Madrid, which was the coldest night in Spain for at least 20 years. At least a dozen people lost their lives due to the freezing conditions.

Powerful rainfall drenched Thailand in mid-January causing floods and landslides to sweep across the country. Influenced by the northeast monsoon, the flooding deluged the four provinces of Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, affecting over 50,000 households in the south.

Disaster struck on 15 January when a massive 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit the west coast of the Indonesian island Sulawesi. The terrifying earthquake flattened houses, destroyed roads and triggered landslides. At least 81 people were killed by the deadly tremors and 15,000 were left homeless.

On 19 January, Storm Christoph battered parts of England and Wales, causing widespread flooding. Hundreds of properties in Greater Manchester and Wales were forced to evacuate overnight due to rising water levels.

Fiji was hit by Tropical Cyclone Ana in late January, causing torrential rain and strong winds to wreak havoc across the country’s northern islands. The powerful cyclone which damaged buildings, crops and public infrastructure forced more than 10,000 people to flee into emergency evacuation centres. At least one person was killed and five went missing due to heavy floodwaters. 

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In early February, the Australian city Perth was scorched by a devastating bushfire, the largest the city had seen in years. The blaze burnt through around 22,239 acres of land and destroyed at least 71 homes. Dozens of residents had to flee from their homes.

On 8 February, heavy rainfall diluted Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta. Overnight torrential rain forced more than 1,000 people in the eastern and southern parts of the city to evacuate. The excessive waters also caused widespread power outages while homes, mostly along the Ciliwung River, were submerged in muddy brown water.

In late February, Dujan sparked rainfall across the southern Philippines. The tropical storm submerged dozens of villages, damaging houses and bridges in the province of Surigao del Sur with powerful winds of up to 40 miles per hour (65km/h). More than 18,000 residents were forced to flee.

In March, the water levels of Lake Sueca in central Colombia became dangerously low. The ongoing drought which continues to plague parts of Columbia as well as deforestation and erosion is thought to be the cause of the depleting water levels in the basin. The drought has hugely impacted marginalised populations, particularly Indigenous people that live in the region as it reduces access to food resources.

Barely visible, on 15 March China’s capital Beijing was enveloped by a cloud of thick dust. Formed by strong winds blowing sand from Mongolia, the apocalyptic-looking orange haze was described as the worst sandstorm to hit the city in a decade. The event reduced visibility and caused Beijing’s air quality to drastically plummet.

In late March, torrential rain pummelled parts of eastern Australia causing extensive flooding. Several areas of New South Wales including western Sydney experienced nearly 3.2 feet (1m) of rainfall which overflowed homes and destroyed roads. The flooding is thought to be the worst to hit the region in more than 30 years. 

On 26 March, a series of terrifying tornadoes tore through Calhoun County in Alabama. The deadly twisters flattened houses, causing devastation in its wake. At least five people were killed and several were left injured.

Check out Hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards: America’s most shocking storms

On 4 April, Indonesia and neighbouring East Timor also suffered after heavy rains triggered flash flooding and mudslides to sweep across the region. Torrential rain sparked widespread devastation and destruction, claiming 86 lives in Indonesia alone, submerging several areas in thick mud and water.

Tropical storm Cyclone Seroja raged across Western Australia on 12 April, leaving chaos in its deadly path. The storm made landfall near the town of Kalbarri on 11 April, damaging around 70% of its buildings with gusts of up to 105 miles per hour (170km/h) as it moved towards the southeast.

Blisteringly high temperatures and drought conditions across Mexico in May caused Lake Cuitzeo, the country’s second-largest lake to dry up. Dubbed the worst drought in 30 years by the Mayor of Mexico City, the harsh conditions dried about 75% of the lakebed and impacted around 85% of the country. 

These shocking images show the impact of climate change in 2021

In mid-May, Cyclone Tauktae struck India’s west coast. Sweeping in from the Arabian Sea, the unusually powerful cyclone sustained winds of up to 125 miles per hour (185km/h) the equivalent of a Category 3 or 4 hurricane. Leaving a trail of destruction in its path, the cyclone killed at least 91 people and 49 went missing after a barge carrying offshore workers sank in the storm.

Just a week after Cyclone Tauktae, a second tropical storm, Cyclone Yaas swamped India’s east coast and Bangladesh. On 26 May, the storm slammed into the north Odisha coast near Balasore, with winds of up to 75 miles per hour (120km/h). The powerful cyclone claimed at least two lives while 1.1 million people were forced to flee.

This dramatic shot shows lighting over Beijing on 30 June painting the sky a pretty violet shade.

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On 30 June, record-breaking temperatures in the Canadian town of Lytton sparked a huge wildfire to torch the town. A scorching heatwave and strong winds fuelled a wildfire that tore through Lytton, blanketing the town in thick black smoke. Temperatures climbed to a blistering 49.5°C (121.28°F). The fire, which blackened an area of roughly 900 square feet (83.6sqm), consumed nearly all of the town’s buildings and left two people dead.

After several days of heavy rain on 3 July, a deadly landslide tore through Atami, a hot springs resort in Japan. The thick black mud ruined nearly everything in its path as it travelled towards the sea, destroying power lines, cars, houses and roads. At least 15 people lost their lives.

Between late July and mid-August, a series of wildfires burned through parts of Turkey. Unprecedented winds and a sizzling heatwave triggered wildfires to spread across the country, forcing thousands to flee from their homes as the fires continued to burn.

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From July until late October, the Dixie Fire burned through nearly one million acres of land in northern California. Spanning five counties and more than 1,500 square miles (3,885sq km), the colossal wildfire burned through the state’s heavily forested area in the northeast. The fire which was eventually contained in late October became the largest single wildfire in California’s history.

Throughout July, several European countries including Germany suffered from torrential rainfall which overflowed the region. The rapid water engulfed villages and towns in the northern and western parts of the country. Germany was the most badly affected, the deadly floodwaters claimed at least 173 lives.

Discover more of the world’s worst floods

In mid-July, parts of the UK were warmed by a sizzling summer heatwave. Thousands across England, Wales and Northern Ireland travelled to beaches, lakes and parks to soak up the sun. The hottest day of the year so far in England was on 20 July with temperatures soaring to 32.2°C (89.9°F) at London’s Heathrow Airport. While Northern Ireland experienced its highest-ever recorded temperature on 21 July, a scorching 31.3°C (88.34°F) in the town of Castlederg in County Tyrone. Pictured here is Southend Beach on England's Essex coast.

Haiti was devastated by a massive earthquake on 14 August, fuelled by a tropical depression. The mammoth 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the Caribbean island, flattening buildings and at least 135,000 families were displaced. The terrifying tremors killed over 2,000 people and thousands were left injured. Tropical Storm Grace, which brought heavy rainfall just a few days later, hampered rescue efforts, adding to the horrific humanitarian crisis.

On 15 August, nearly 1,000 people were forced to flee from Spain as forest fires burned through two regions. Scorchingly high temperatures and dry conditions were thought to be the cause of the fires, which ravaged parts of central Spain destroying at least 29,652 acres of land.

Powerful rainfall in mid-August also sparked landslides and flash flooding in parts of Germany. The deadly landslides caused extensive damage across southern Germany, sweeping away homes and at least one person died. Captured here is a house wrecked by floods in Rech near Dernau, Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany. 

Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana’s Gulf Coast on 29 August, causing widespread damage and power outages. The devastating storm surged across the state, ripping off roofs of homes and leaving dozens trapped in dangerously rising waters. At least a dozen people died and one million residents were left without power.

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On 11 September lightning hit above Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, an incredible phenomenon known as the Maracaibo beacon. The lighting takes place over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo. The massive thunderstorms occur around 140-160 days per year with 28 lightning strikes on average per minute lasting up to 10 hours at a time. Lake Maracaibo is famed for receiving more lighting than anywhere else on the planet.

Check out more of the strangest weather phenomena in the world

Following excessive rainfall, on 20 September the Indian city of Kolkata experienced the highest rainfall of September in 13 years. Kolkata’s weather office recorded a staggering 5.6 inches (14.2cm) of rainfall in just 24 hours, the dramatic downpour flooded roads and disrupted transport.

On the morning of 27 September, the Greek Island of Crete was shaken by a huge earthquake with a magnitude of at least 5.8. The deadly tremors sent powerful aftershocks across the island, severely damaging buildings and at least one person died.

Throughout October, severe rainfall also pummelled parts of Cambodia. The rainfall sparked extensive flooding which damaged nearly 60,000 houses and thousands of acres of rice and crops. Over 240,000 people were affected by the rainfall and at least 30 people were killed.

A terrifying earthquake hit southern Pakistan in early October. The powerful 5.7 magnitude tremor struck Balochistan on the coast in the early hours of the morning. The earthquake caused roofs and walls to collapse and at least 20 people lost their lives while more than 200 were left injured by its destructive path. 

Heavy rain soaked much of the northeastern US in late October including New York, New Jersey and Virginia. Dubbed a “bomb cyclone” the storm caused the excessive rainfall which blew in from the northeast. It left more than 600,000 homes and businesses without power, knocking down trees and causing widespread damage, at least one person was killed. This image shows a couple kayaking through the flooded city streets of Alexandria in Virginia.

Bosnia was lashed by torrential rain in early November triggering severe flash flooding. The extreme rainfall caused widespread power outages and prompted hundreds of homes along the Bosnia river to be evacuated. Rising water levels and fast-moving floodwaters engulfed roads and buildings. 

Two women are pictured here on 12 November as they walk through heavy snowfall on the outskirts of Moscow in Russia.

Canada and the Pacific Northwest was devastated by extreme flooding in mid-November following a huge storm. Record rainfall pummelled parts of British Columbia in Canada and Washington state in the US. Thousands were forced to flee their homes while others were left stranded in towns and on roads that had been cut off by the rainfall. That then triggered floods and landslides across the region. Canada’s military was deployed to help those who were trapped and at least one person was killed by the floodwaters.

A Pacific Northwest storm sparked a deadly mudslide to swamp Canadian province British Columbia in November. Torrential rainfall sparked debris and caused cars to block roads, destroy houses and damage railroads, leaving at least four people dead. At least 300 people were forced to sleep in their cars while officers were forced to rescue people from roofs after houses were submerged by the rain.

In late November parts of the UK and Ireland were battered by a powerful winter storm. Storm Atwen slammed through the north of England, toppling trees and leaving thousands without electricity due to power cuts. The storm’s gale-force winds, which reached up to 98 miles per hour (158km/h) in Northumberland, claimed the lives of at least three people.

In early December a storm surged through areas of England and Ireland, triggering heavy showers, sleet and snow. More than 56,000 homes and businesses were left without power as wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour (130km/h) travelled across northwest Ireland before reaching the northwest coast of England.

Flooding also lashed parts of Spain in mid-December, forcing more than 50 residents to evacuate. Following heavy rain and snowfall, northern Spain was hit by record flooding, with water levels reaching up to 27 feet (8.2m) in some areas, breaking a record from six years ago. The rain caused rivers to overflow and at least two people lost their lives.

A string of winter tornadoes ripped through America’s Midwest in mid-December, causing widespread damage. Several terrifying tornadoes slammed through the states of Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky, leaving dozens missing in the debris and at least 74 people have died in Kentucky alone. The state was the worst hit, with damage spanning more than 200 miles (322km) across the state. The deadly storm is thought to be one of the largest tornado outbreaks in US history.

Super typhoon Rai barrelled across the Philippines in December, causing monumental damage. The typhoon made landfall on 16 December, forcing tens of thousands to flee from their homes as the tropical cyclone tore through the southeastern parts of the island destroying houses, uprooting trees and severing power lines. The typhoon has been described as one of the world’s strongest storms of 2021. More than 140,000 people have been affected by typhoon Rai, with many still trapped by the severe flooding and several have lost their lives.

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