Environmental disasters across globe in January 2022

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - A range of environmental disasters hit the world in the first month of 2022, including heavy rains and floods in Brazil, Iran and Madagascar; heavy snowfall in Turkiye, Pakistan and the US; wildfires in Spain and Argentina as well as volcanic eruptions in Ecuador's Wolf volcano and Pacific nation of Tonga.

Below is a timeline compiled by Anadolu Agency:

Jan. 3:

- After a week of record-breaking heat, firefighters in northern Spain are struggling to extinguish a wave of forest fires that emerged during the first weekend of the year.

- A wide swathe of the US East Coast is slammed by a major winter storm that brings significant snowfall to much of the Mid-Atlantic region, including the capital.

Jan. 4:

- The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia rise to 26, with 715,634 people affected.

- Argentine authorities say fires destroy "between 80,000 and 90,000 hectares" in the southern province of Chubut.

- At least five people are killed while nine others remain missing after a landslide hit a construction site in China.

Jan. 5:

- At least nine people are killed in floods that hit almost all of Iran.

Jan. 6:

- Wildfires fueled by strong winds and downed power lines in the Western US state of Colorado cause more than $513 million in damage and destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and other structures.

Jan. 7:

- The Wolf volcano, the tallest mountain on the Galapagos islands, starts erupting, spewing lava and clouds of ash in the Pacific Ocean.

- Hundreds of people are hospitalized after the Japanese capital of Tokyo received its highest snowfall in four years.

Jan. 8:

- At least two people are killed in southeastern Brazil when a canyon wall collapsed on speedboats in a lake due to heavy rains.

- 21 tourists have lost their lives in the past two days after their vehicles were trapped due to heavy snowfall in a famous hill station near Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad

Jan. 9:

- The death toll in southeastern Brazil rises to 10 when a canyon wall collapsed on speedboats in a lake.

Jan. 13:

- A landslide, caused by heavy rain, destroys a historic townhouse in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

Jan. 15:

- Following a massive underwater volcanic eruption in the Pacific country of Tonga, Japan was hit with a tsunami on its Pacific coast late Saturday, local media reported.

Jan. 18:

- Japan says at least two people were killed during the undersea volcanic eruption around the Tonga island nation in South Pacific.

Jan. 19:

- At least 10 people are killed in floods caused by heavy rains in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.

Jan. 20:

- Thousands of displaced Syrians living in tents in the northwest have been struggling amid heavy downpours and snowfall.

- Forest fires continue to rage across Argentina, with high temperatures and winds helping them to spread.

Jan. 24:

- Heavy snowfall hits Turkiye’s largest city Istanbul, shuttering shopping malls, disrupting traffic, and closing a mega-airport.

Jan. 25:

- Five people are killed and many others missing after floods hit western Uganda.

- A severe weather front dubbed Elpis hit Greece's capital region of Attica with snow as well as the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea.

Jan. 26:

- The Peruvian navy says it spots a new oil spill at the terminal of the La Pampilla refinery that belongs to the Spanish oil company Repsol.

Jan. 27:

- Tropical Storm Ana kills 19 people and displaces thousands of families in southern Malawi.

Jan. 28:

- Millions of people across the US eastern seaboard are bracing for a "bomb cyclone" that will bring heavy snow, strong winds, and blizzard conditions to the region.

- The death toll from a tropical storm that struck three African countries climbs to 78 as emergency efforts continued to repair damaged infrastructure and help tens of thousands of victims.

Jan. 29:

- Parts of the United Kingdom face extreme weather as Storm Malik made a dramatic landfall with gale-force winds and heavy torrents of rain.

Jan. 30:

- A daunting Nor'easter winter storm left more than 100,000 people without power as it tore through the US East Coast with powerful winds and heavy snowfall.

Jan. 31:

- The Central US is bracing for a major winter storm as parts of the East Coast dig out from a historic snowfall amid below-freezing temperatures.