Copernicus: 2022, a year of climate extremes

Last Monday, January 09, 2023, Copernicus* issued the 2022 edition of its Global Climate Highlights Report.

The news are concerning, remain in "alert mode". Here are some general highlights:

• Highest CO2 levels in 2 million years. And for methane, for the last 800 000 years

• 2022 was the fifth-warmest year for the planet since records began

• Last eight years were the warmest on record. But among these eight, 2022 specifically was one of the five coolest (!)

About specific regions, "2022: a year of climate extremes”:

• Antarctic Sea reach its lowest extent on record

• Europe recorded its warmest summer and its second warmest year overall (after 2020)

• North-western Siberia: 3°C above average

• South-western Europe and the Antarctic Peninsula: 2°C above average

• Pakistan, severe floods

• Eastern Pacific, temperatures were most below average over the tropics, indicative of continuing La Niña conditions

• Australia, relatively low temperatures and extreme looding over eastern Australia in 2022, also features typically linked with La Niña events

Click on the image below for the full report and graphs.

Not in the Copernicus report but you probably saw how 2022 ended and how 2023 is starting with "weird" climate situations:

• United States, floods all over California (CNN). Thousands urged to flee their homes as more severe weather wallops California, pushing the death toll to 14 in recent storms and California flooding in pictures

• Saudi Arabia, Greening desert after rain and floods

• United States, In pictures: Winter storm impacts the US (CNN)

* Also refer to

• January 5, 2023 "Copernicus: Welcome to the Climate Data Store"

• April 20, 2022 "Heatwaves and Snow: What's Really Happening to Antarctica's Weather? (Euronews)"

• March 5, 2021 "Copernicus climate data: the new key for finance decision making (source Euronews)"