Extreme weather underscores rising global climate risks

January 2026 was the fifth-warmest on record globally, with contrasting temperature extremes seen in both hemispheres, the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service reported on Tuesday. The global average temperature in January 2026 stood at 12.95 degrees Celsius, 0.28 degrees Celsius cooler than the record-warm January 2025, ranking as the fifth-warmest January worldwide, the report said.

The Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere experienced different extremes in January, according to the report. Severe cold waves hit the Northern Hemisphere, notably Europe and North America, contributing to Europe's coldest January since 2010, with an average temperature of minus 2.34 degrees Celsius. In the Southern Hemisphere, record-breaking heat fueled worsening wildfires across Australia and Patagonia, while late-month heavy rains in Southern Africa triggered severe flooding.

"January 2026 delivered a stark reminder that the climate system can sometimes simultaneously deliver very cold weather in one region, and extreme heat in another," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. She added that while human activities continue to drive long-term warming, these recent events underscore the need to strengthen resilience and accelerate adaptation to escalating extremes to better prepare society for heightened climate risks ahead.

Against this global backdrop, extreme cold in the United States has highlighted the immediate human cost of severe weather. In New York City, authorities said 18 people have died during an extended period of dangerously low temperatures, marking one of the longest sustained subzero cold spells since 1961. Officials activated emergency cold-weather protocols, including expanding shelter access, opening additional warming facilities and increasing outreach to vulnerable residents, while warning that exposure to such extreme cold can cause frostbite or hypothermia within a short time.

In Portugal, the impact of severe storms has also been deadly. A man died on Monday and another was injured in a workplace accident in Leiria, while carrying out repairs on electrical infrastructure damaged by Storm Kristin. Leiria, approximately 140 kilometers north of Lisbon, is among the areas most severely affected by recent extreme weather, with extensive damage to electrical infrastructure prompting widespread repair operations. With this worker's death, the number of fatalities linked to the severe weather that has hit the country has risen to 16, with the central region among the hardest hit.

Meanwhile, in Japan, authorities said that as of 8:30 a.m. local time on February 9, heavy snowfall since January 20 had resulted in 46 deaths and 549 injuries nationwide. Among those who died, 41 were aged 60 or older, with many accidents occurring during roof snow removal and other snow-clearing operations.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: A bushfire burns near the town of Longwood, northern Victoria as a heatwave blankets Australia, January 7, 2026. /VCG)