In Pictures

Gallery|Climate Crisis

January’s weather extremes in pictures

Brutal heat in the southern hemisphere and unusual cold in the north may indicate we left the era of a stable climate.

January''s Weather in Photos
The year 2019 started quite as 2018 ended for Central Europe, with heavy snow. A blocking weather pattern continued to bring record snow for many countries. Here, in Austria, about 12,000 tourists had been cut off in ski areas because of the heavy snow and avalanche risk. [Christian Bruna/EPA]
Published On 2 Feb 2019

As we began the month, heavy snow across much of Central Europe continued from December. Weather-related deaths continued to rise and the winter storms caused major travel issues, power outages and cut off several Alpine villages.

A bit further south, storm after storm continued to slam the eastern Mediterranean. Coastal homes were destroyed in Lebanon, while further inland the heavy rain flooded refugee camps housing about one million Syrian refugees.

In the southern hemisphere, Australia spent most of the month enduring an ongoing heat wave. Several cities broke daily temperature records. The heat and the dry conditions across Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales also meant that the bushfire threat continued to increase.

As the month ended, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said that January was the hottest month on record.

In North America, the infamous polar vortex brought extreme cold to south-central Canada and to the US northern plains, Midwest and Northeast, where temperatures lower than -35 degrees Celsius paralysed much of the region for days.

January''s Weather in Photos
The avalanche risk continued to rise in many of the more mountainous areas of Central Europe as the snow continued to accumulate. Here, in Balderschwang, Germany, the mountain snow gave way and the avalanche came straight through this hotel lobby. [Daniel Kopatsch/EPA]
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January''s Weather in Photos
A strong storm that moved into the eastern Mediterranean Sea impacted many countries across the region, but here in Cairo, Egypt, it was a sandstorm that was kicked up by the strong winds. The sandstorm continued east into the Levant and Arabian Peninsula. [Khaled Elfiqi/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
The same storm that caused the sandstorm in Egypt led to strong coastal waves to Lebanon. Thousands of people were displaced as their homes were damaged or destroyed. [Nabil Mounzer/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
For the Netherlands, temperatures took a dive which meant that the Frisian Ryptsjerkerpolder Pond became a prime spot for ice skating. [Koen Van Weel/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
Flash flooding is the weather's biggest killer. Here, in Karachi, Pakistan, several people were killed when storms brought heavy rain to the region. [Rehan Khan/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
In Chuncheon, South Korea, January's winter meant hoarfrost covering trees and grass along the Soyang River. [Yonhap/EPA]
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January''s Weather in Photos
For many Australians, January was synonymous with heat wave conditions. In Adelaide, these teens keep cool the best way possible. The country's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) ranked January as the hottest month on record for Australia. [Kelly Barnes/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
London got its first snow of the season on January 22. Another storm brought even heavier snow to many parts of the UK at the end of the month, leaving many stranded in their cars along the highways. [Neil Hall/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
Even at 2,550 metres, snow is a rare experience in Kathmandu, Nepal. But here is one way to get up close and personal to the white stuff. [Narendra Shrestha/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
Strong storms brought heavy rainfall and flooding to parts of Cantabria, Spain, where residents needed to be rescued by Civil Guards. [Guardia Civil/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
Moscow, Russia, is no stranger to winter, but snow has been heavier than average this month and piles of newly fallen snow on Red Square continue to grow. [Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
Not everyone had to bundle up in January. Here, in Cancun, Mexico, tourists flocked to the Mexican coast to enjoy some winter sun and warmth. [Alonso Cupul/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
The mid-winter cold and pristine sky made for a spectacular photo on the Plain of Chablais, Switzerland. [Laurent Darbellay/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
Once again heavy snow and cold air made its presence known in Germany. Here, a visitor enjoys the snowy landscape at Feldberg Mountain near Oberreifenberg. [Armando Babani/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
At the end of the month, the polar vortex drifted south from the Arctic and brought with it dangerously cold air and wind chills to many parts of Canada and the US. Here, in Chicago, Illinois, the spray from Lake Michigan froze as delicate icicles along the lakefront. [Kamil Krzaczynski/EPA]
January''s Weather in Photos
Over the multi-day cold snap across the US, thousands of flights were cancelled or delayed as seen at O'hare International Airport in Chicago. [Kamil Krzaczynski/EPA]