2021 in climate: Extreme weather events that shocked the world

As the year draws to an end, we take a look at the extreme weather-related events that made headlines across the world.

In February, Kenya and other parts of East Africa fought the worst locust attacks in decades, with the insects destroying crops and grazing grounds. Scientists say that unusual weather patterns exacerbated by climate change created ideal conditions for insects to thrive. Credit: AFP Photo

US’s Texas state was hit by a blazing cold wave in February that killed over 100 and left millions without power in bone-chilling weather. Credit: AFP Photo

In March, Chinese capital Beijing faced one of the worst sandstorms in a decade, disrupting flight services as skies turned orange due to the dust storm. Credit: AFP Photo

Swarms of locusts invaded several states in India in April, with the insects damaging acres of crops. Credit: PTI Photo

Most of the western United States was gripped by a drought in June that emerged in early 2020. The government even imposed restrictions to refrain from washing cars at home, refilling pools and watering lawns once a week. Even the Hoover Dam reservoir hit an all-time low. Credit: AFP Photo

A series of floods took place across Maharashtra due heavy rains in July 2021. Credit: AFP Photo

Catastrophic flooding paralysed China's Henan province when a year's worth of rain fell in just three days in July. Credit: AFP Photo

A record heatwave and drought in the United States resulted in massive wildfires in California and Oregon regions in July. This was the largest wildfire in the US in recent past. Credit: Reuters Photo

Meanwhile in Europe, hundreds of people died as torrential rains that submerged Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Scientists concluded that climate change had made the floods 20% more likely to occur. Credit: AFP Photo

South America's second-longest river, the Parana, fell to its lowest level since 1944 in July. Credit: Reuters Photo

In August, a hot and dry summer fanned intense blazes that forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in Algeria, Greece and Turkey. Credit: AFP Photo

Nearly all the world's mountain glaciers are retreating due to global warming. In the Alps, Swiss resort employees laid protective blankets over one of Mount Titlis's glaciers during the summer months to preserve what ice is left in the month of August. Credit: Reuters Photo

Hurricane Ida battered Louisiana, killing nearly a hundred people and causing damage worth $64 billion. Credit: Reuters Photo

Infrastructure and homes are increasingly in peril in Russia as underground permafrost melts and deforms the land underneath them. Credit: Reuters Photo

The worst floods in South India have affected about lakhs of people in November. Every year the county goes through a rainy season, but flooding has set records recently. The destruction is likely to increase due to constant temperatures rise, scientists say. Credit: PTI Photo