How 2022 kept breaking new extreme weather records in ‘more volatile and unstable world’
From summer heat across the whole of the northern hemisphere to a cruel drought inflicting mass hunger in east Africa, 2022 felt almost unrelenting in extreme weather.
While hazards like hurricanes and wildfires happen naturally, climate breakdown is making them worse, scientists say.
And they agree that extreme weather events are going to become “more frequent in most locations across the world”, warned professor Tom Oliver, who specialises in ecology and evolutionary biology at Reading University.
But what is lesser known is “the way in which these events interact with each other and cause knock-on effects,” he said.
“Extreme weather is implicated in food shortages, mass human displacement and geopolitical conflict.
“These complex risk cascades are impossible to predict precisely but, as a general rule, we face a more volatile and unstable world as a result of accelerating climate change,” he added.
Here are just seven new records broken in 2022:
Fires broke out around England in the July heatwave
1. Record heat in UK left people and infrastructure struggling to cope
For the first time ever, temperatures soared to 40°C in the UK this summer, an event made ten times more likely by climate change, scientists said.
The extreme weather grounded flights, buckled trainlines and fuelled devastating blazes that destroyed homes.
The Met Office’s Mike Kendon said at the time that what stood out was “how much more widespread the heat was” than in previous heatwaves.
“Temperature records tend to get broken by modest amounts and by just a few stations, but the recent heat broke the national record by 1.6°C and across an extensive area of the country,” he said.
In Europe as a whole the average temperature was the highest on record for both August and summer period by “substantial margins” of 0.8°C for August and 0.4°C for summer, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Dead fish left on the dried-up bed of the river Tille in Lux, France, in August. Pic: AP
2. Europe’s drought worst in 500 years
All that heat fuelled Europe’s worst drought for some 500 years, according to preliminary analysis. The parched conditions shrivelled plants and rivers, leaving hordes of dead fish and failed crops.
The drought exacerbated the energy crisis by evaporating water from hydropower lakes and hindering cooling of nuclear power plants.
What made it so bad was the fact “most of Europe” was exposed to compounding heatwaves and dry weather, an EU researcher said.
In the second worst drought, 2018, dry and hot weather in central and northern Europe was partially offset by wet conditions in the south.
Pic: AP
3. Drought-triggered famine in east Africa
This year Somalia and Ethiopia suffered what is thought to be the worst drought in 40 years, fuelled by climate change.
It has driven people to hunger and the brink of famine, threatening the lives and livelihoods of 36 million people.
Catastrophic levels of hunger in drought-stricken Madagascar should be a “wake up call” to the current and severe danger of global heating, the World Food Programme warned in August, as the country teetered on the edge of the world’s first climate change-induced famine.
Hundreds of firefighters struggled to contain a blaze in the Gironde region of southwestern France in July
4. Europe wildfires – second highest on record, but pollution broke new boundaries
Fierce, scorching wildfires across Europe were fuelled by longer and hotter heatwaves and drought..
More land was torched than in any other year on record apart from 2017, when the Ophelia cyclone intensified an unseasonal October fire in Portugal.
But the amount of harmful pollution did reach a new record high, with the total emissions from the European Union and the UK from June to August 2022 thought to be the highest for these months since the summer of 2007.
Wildfire emissions are a significant source of atmospheric pollutants, which turn air dirty and harm human health.
“This year’s fire season was very intense in terms of burnt areas, but especially so in terms of [the] number of fires and fire danger levels,” Dr Jesús San-Miguel-Ayanz, from the European Commission’s Disaster Risk Management Unit, told Sky News.
Pic: AP
5. India and Pakistan heat ‘a sign of things to come’
As Pakistan and India sweltered in a spring heatwave, scientists warned record-breaking temperatures have been made 100 times more likely by the climate crisis.
It was a “sign of things to come,” they said as they published the study.
India endured its hottest March since records began over 120 years ago, and land surface temperatures in south Ahmedabad soared to 65°C in April.
The crippling heat compounded energy shortages, with a surge in demand leaving many without power. It also wiped out 50% of some crop yields.
When the mercury soared to 50.2°C in Nawabshah, a city in southern Pakistan, it was thought to be the highest temperature ever reliably measured in April for any location on Earth.
An aerial view of damaged and inundated homes after Hurricane Ian tore through Lee County in Florida, U.S. Pic: ABC via Reuters
6. Counting the cost of Hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian is this year’s most expensive catastrophe, with estimated preliminary insured losses of $50bn (£41.1bn).
The category 4 hurricane made landfall in western Florida in late September with extreme winds, torrential rain and storm surge.
Swiss Re Institute predicts it to be the second-costliest insured loss ever after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, more than 2012’s Superstorm Sandy that swamped New York and New Jersey.
The aftermath of Hurricane Ian brought an increase in reported infections of a rare flesh-eating bacteria.
Homes are surrounded by floodwaters in Sohbat Pur city, a district of Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan province, Pic: AP
7. Violent flooding in Pakistan burst river banks and records
From mid-June to late August large areas of Pakistan suffered record-breaking monsoonal rainfall.
It inflicted flash floods and landslides, and saw overflowing rivers and glacial lakes. The flooding uprooted more than 32 million people, destroyed 1.7 million homes, and killed more than 1,700 people.
The south Asian nation received more than three times its usual rainfall in August, making it the wettest August since
1961.
Two southern provinces, Sindh and Balochistan, experienced their wettest August ever recorded, receiving seven and eight times their usual monthly totals respectively.
The multibillion dollar damages inflicted on the middle-income country, that has done relatively little to cause climate change, reignited the debate about who pays for climate disasters.
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World
Donald Trump tells Volodymyr Zelenskyy ‘you’re gambling with World War Three’ in fiery Oval Office meeting
Donald Trump and JD Vance held a heated meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in front of the media – which saw the US president tell his Ukrainian counterpart he is “gambling with World War Three”.
Mr Zelenskyy travelled to the US as he attempted to secure a ceasefire agreement with Russia and a possible mineral deal with the United States.
But his visit to the White House ended prematurely – with the signing of an agreement and a joint press conference with Mr Trump called off following their Oval Office clash.
Ukraine latest: Russian official responds to White House meeting
As the pair met with US vice president JD Vance joining them, tensions rose and a shouting match unfolded – all while cameras rolled and representatives from the media looked on.
The last 10 minutes of the almost 45-minute meeting descended into a tense back-and-forth, which began with Mr Vance telling Mr Zelenksyy: “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.
“You should be thanking the President [Trump] for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
Members of the press were gathered in the Oval Office as the tense exchange unfolded. Pic: AP
Tensions rose after JD Vance called Mr Zelenskyy ‘disrespectful’. Pic: Reuters
As the Ukrainian president tried to object, Mr Trump raised his voice and told him: “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.
“You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have.”
“You’re right now not in a very good position,” he continued. “You don’t have the cards right now with us, you start having problems right now.”
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What happened when Trump met Zelenskyy?
‘This will be great television,’ says Trump
At one point, Mr Vance blasted Mr Zelenskyy for airing “disagreements” in front of the press, but the US president remarked: “I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on.”
“You’re not acting at all thankful,” he said. “This is going to be great television.”
Defending himself and his country, the Ukrainian president openly challenged Mr Trump on his softer approach to Vladimir Putin and urged him to make “no compromises with a killer”.
This fiery spectacle was hard to witness
The fiery and very public bust-up between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a disaster for Ukraine and its European allies, and a triumph for Russia.
The spectacle of the US president berating his Ukrainian counterpart and telling him he is gambling with World War Three – played out on television from the Oval Office – was hard to witness.
Zelenskyy, looking increasingly uncomfortable, decided to fight back. He likely felt he had little choice but to defend himself and his war-torn country.
But this act of defiance drew even more condemnation from Trump as well as from JD Vance, who also started attacking the Ukrainian leader.
It is hard to imagine a greater contrast from the chummy scenes between Sir Keir Starmer and Trump and the scolding language used by the American president against Zelenskyy, at times addressing him as though he were a naughty schoolboy.
Ukraine’s president, his arms crossed, tried his best to speak up, but he was clearly fighting a losing battle. The extraordinary breakdown is far more serious than just a made-for-television drama.
American support for Ukraine is critical if Kyiv is to withstand Russia’s war. The UK, France and Ukraine’s other European allies have been working overtime to try to keep Trump on their side.
The US president has vowed to end the war and has started talks with Vladimir Putin. The two presidents also plan to meet. That alone was hard for Ukraine to witness.
But the Ukrainian side has attempted to work with Washington rather than against it, including by being willing to part with profits from its minerals and other natural resources in return for locking Trump into a long-term partnership with Ukraine.
That all looks to be shattered – or at best is in serious jeopardy.
If Trump, in anger, withdraws all his military support to Ukraine, Kyiv’s ability to withstand Russia’s military will be seriously diminished.
The Europeans lack the capability to fill the void. The only person who wins in this scenario is Vladimir Putin.
Posting on his Truth Social platform shortly after the clash, Mr Trump described the meeting as “very meaningful” and said: “Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure.
“It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.”
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaving the White House early. Pic: AP
He continued: “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Zelenskyy posts on X after early exit
Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy had been due to have lunch with their delegations in the White House’s cabinet room after the meeting – but untouched salad plates and other items were seen being packed up as the meal was hastily called off.
Having left the White House early, Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on X: “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit.
“Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
It feels like “the draft” has come six weeks early – the annual selection meeting in American football.
For three or four days, teams in the NFL attempt to woo players with the most lucrative contracts.
In a classic Emmanuel Macron manoeuvre, the French president deployed flattery in the Oval Office.
Three days later, Sir Keir Starmer the charmer upped the game, whipping out a letter from the King.
In their determination to entice the key player back onto Europe’s side, their tactical game was top-notch.
But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s arrival at the White House is the moment of truth for their charm offensive.
The Ukrainian leader has stressed the need for security guarantees before signing any agreement.
President Donald Trump seems to be suggesting that a deal on rare earth minerals provides such security.
“Digging our hearts out,” as he put it, in an economic partnership, would certainly be ground-breaking diplomacy.
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‘What a beautiful accent’
This week’s flurry in Washington reflects Europe’s concern about Trump’s push to end the war.
Ten days ago, his apparent concessions to Russia sounded alarm bells across the Atlantic.
But his meetings with Macron and Starmer were more amicable than France and the UK dared hope.
Both fact-checked him in real time when he claimed European aid for Ukraine had been given as a loan.
Read more:
As it happened: Trump-Starmer visit
Starmer contradicts Vance over free speech claim
Read some of Trump’s letter from the King
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An ‘intense session’ but ‘pretty good outing’
But rather than retaliate, he appeared to have heard their concerns about his U-turn towards Moscow.
Asked by one journalist if he still thought Zelenskyy was a “dictator”, he replied: “Did I really say that?”
Don’t underestimate that joke.
It is the closest Donald J Trump would ever come to a climb-down.
The publication of the detail is a pivotal moment in assessing which team he has opted to play for.
World
FBI most wanted drug lord among 29 cartel figures sent from Mexico to US as Trump turns up pressure on organisations
Mexico has sent 29 drug cartel figures, including a most wanted drug lord, to the US as the Trump administration cranks up the pressure on the crime groups.
The early days of the new US president’s second term were marked by him triggering trade wars with his nearest allies, where he threatened to hike tariffs with Mexico, and Canada, insisting the country crack down on drug cartels, immigration and the production of fentanyl.
With the imposition of the 25% tariffs just days away, drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, one of the FBI’s “10 most wanted fugitives”, was one of the individuals handed over in the unprecedented show of cooperation.
The FBI wanted poster for Rafael Caro Quintero. Pic: AP/FBI
It comes as top Mexican officials are in Washington ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Those sent to the US on Thursday were rounded up from prisons across Mexico and flown to eight US cities, according to the Mexican government.
Prosecutors from both countries said the prisoners sent to the US faced charges including drug trafficking and homicide.
“We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honour of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers – and in some cases, given their lives – to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels,” US attorney general Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
‘Cartel kingpin’
Quintero was convicted of the torture and murder of US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena in 1985.
The murder marked a low point in US-Mexico relations.
Quintero was described by the US attorney general as “a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico”.
After decades in jail, and atop the FBI’s most wanted list, he walked free in 2013 when a court overturned his 40-year sentence for killing Mr Camarena.
Rafael Caro Quintero. Pic: Reuters/FBI
Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara cartel, returned to drug trafficking and triggered bloody turf battles in the northern Mexico state of Sonora until he was arrested a second time in 2022.
The US sought his extradition shortly after, but the request remained stuck at Mexico’s foreign ministry for reasons unknown.
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s predecessor and political mentor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador severely curtailed Mexican cooperation with the DEA to protest undercover US operations in Mexico targeting senior political and military officials.
‘The Lord of The Skies’
Also sent to the US were cartel leaders, security chiefs from both factions of the Sinaloa cartel, cartel finance operatives and a man wanted in connection with the killing of a North Carolina sheriff’s deputy in 2022.
Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, a once leader of the Juarez drug cartel, based in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, and brother of drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes, known as “The Lord of The Skies”, who died in a botched plastic surgery in 1997, was among those turned over to the US.
As were two leaders of the now defunct Los Zetas cartel, brothers Miguel and Omar Trevino Morales, who were known as Z-40 and Z-42.
The brothers have been accused of running the successor Northeast Cartel from prison.
Soldiers escort a man who authorities identified as Omar Trevino Morales, also known as Z-42. Pic: AP/Eduardo Verdugo
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales after his arrest. Pic: AP/Mexico’s Interior Ministry
Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, the purported leader of the Juarez cartel, pictured after his arrest in 2014. Pic: AP
Trump-Mexico relations
The removal of the cartel figures coincided with a visit to Washington by Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary Juan Ramon de la Fuente and other top officials, who met with their US counterparts.
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Mr Trump has made clear his desire to crack down on drug cartels and has pressured Mexico to work with him.
The acting head of the DEA, Derek Maltz, was said to have provided the White House with a list of nearly 30 targets in Mexico wanted in the US on criminal charges and Quintero was top of the list.
It was also said that Ms Sheinbaum’s government, in a rush to seek favour with the Trump administration, bypassed the usual formalities of the countries’ shared extradition treaty in this incident.
This means it could potentially allow US prosecutors to try Quintero for Mr Camarena’s murder – something not contemplated in the existing extradition request to face separate drug trafficking charges in a Brooklyn federal court.
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