In Pictures
The world’s wild week of weather
Weather systems have caused floods in the UK and South America, tornadoes in the US and choking smog in China.
This year’s Christmas period has been marked by a series of unusual and, at times, devastating weather systems, right across the world.
In the US, at least eight people died on Saturday night after multiple tornadoes hit northern Texas. The incidents brought the death toll to 25 from a week of severe storms that have crossed the southern US.
Further north, however, locals in New York enjoyed unseasonal warmth over the Christmas break, with temperatures peaking at 22C on Christmas Eve and 19C on Christmas Day – both records.
In South America, more than 150,000 people were forced from their homes over the Christmas holiday after the worst flooding in more than 50 years hit Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
In the UK, the government was holding emergency talks on Sunday as flooding in northern England forced hundreds of people to leave their homes, including in the historic tourist destination of York.
In China, more than 100 million people across China were warned to stay indoors in Beijing and surrounding regions because of severe smog.
In Australia, meanwhile, an intense heatwave led to a bushfire that destroyed more than 100 homes in the southern state of Victoria.
