Extreme Weather Events
Live alerts and long-term data for floods, wildfires, droughts, cyclones, and heatwaves worldwide. Real-time events from GDACS (EU/JRC) show where the world is responding to disasters right now, while historical trends from EM-DAT (1960-present) via Our World in Data reveal how the frequency, scale, and economic cost of extreme events have shifted over decades. Together they connect today's headlines to the long-run pattern of a warming planet.
Key Facts (2025 - Provisional)
Last updated: 29 Jul 2026⚠2025 figures are provisional. EM-DAT finalises recent years retrospectively - totals are typically incomplete for 1-2 years after events occur and the final count will be higher.
Source: Our World in Data / EM-DAT (CRED International Disaster Database).
Extreme Weather by Type
Recorded Extreme Weather Events per Year
Annual events by type from EM-DAT via Our World in Data .2025 bar is provisional - EM-DAT takes 1-2 years to finalise recent events.
Deaths from Extreme Weather
Deaths from Extreme Weather per Year
Annual death toll by type. Source: EM-DAT .2025 bar is provisional - EM-DAT takes 1-2 years to finalise recent events.
Long-Term Trends
Total Recorded Disasters per Year
Total Deaths from Extreme Weather per Year
Total People Affected per Year
Total Economic Damage per Year (Current US$)
Annual totals for disasters, deaths, people affected, and economic damage. Source: EM-DAT via Our World in Data.2025 bar is provisional - EM-DAT takes 1-2 years to finalise recent events.
Most-Affected Countries (Last 20 Years)
Top countries by reported extreme weather events over the past two decades. Source: EM-DAT.
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FAQs
FAQs
What does the extreme weather page show?
Live alerts for extreme weather events and disease outbreaks happening right now, plus long-term trend charts showing how the frequency, deaths, people affected and economic damage from climate-related disasters have changed over decades. The current alerts and most recent totals are shown in the live panels above.
What counts as an extreme weather event?
The page tracks the categories used by the international disaster databases: floods, storms (including tropical cyclones), droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, landslides and extreme cold. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are not climate-related and are excluded from the trend charts.
Where does the extreme weather data come from?
Live extreme-weather alerts: Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS), a joint initiative of the United Nations and the European Commission. Live disease-outbreak alerts: World Health Organization (WHO Disease Outbreak News). Long-term disaster trend data: EM-DAT international disaster database, presented via Our World in Data.
How often is this page updated?
Live alert feeds (GDACS, WHO) refresh several times per day. Historical disaster trend charts refresh on the same monthly cadence as the rest of the site.
Where can I see climate-change attribution for individual events?
For attribution of specific events to climate change see World Weather Attribution (worldweatherattribution.org) and Climameter (climameter.org). The IPCC AR6 Working Group I report (2021) covers attribution methodology in detail.