The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2022. The year began with a La Niña. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, floods, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones. The deadliest weather event of the year were the European heat waves, which killed over 26,000 people, 11,000 of which were in France. The costliest weather event of the year was Hurricane Ian, which caused at least $112 billion in damages in Florida and Cuba. Another significant weather event was the Pakistan floods, which killed 1,739 people and a total of $14.9 billion in damages.
Deadliest events + Deadliest meteorological events during 2022 Rank Event Date(s) Deaths (+Missing) Refs1European heat wavesJune 12–September 1268,000+2Pakistan floodsJune 14–October1,7393Afghanistan floodsMay—August6704Nigeria floodsMay—October612 5KwaZulu-Natal floodsApril 8–214356Petrópolis floodsFebruary 152317Tropical Storm MegiApril 8–12214 (+132 missing)8Kinshasa floodsDecember 12–131699Tropical Storm NalgaeOctober 26-November 3164 (+28 missing)10Hurricane IanSeptember 23-October 1, 2022161
Types
Cold snaps and winter storms
On January 8, a snowstorm in Pakistan caused 23 deaths.
Three significant winter storms affected North America two at the beginning of the year, one in the middle of January that killed five and one in early February that killed eight, and the other at the end of year in December of 2022 that killed at least 50.
Southern Ontario saw the second snowiest day during the January storm, with schools and airports shutting down. The storm also spawned a brief EF2 tornado, causing several injuries and significant damage in Iona, Florida.
of snow fell near Colorado Springs, Colorado during the February winter storm, which also produced several tornadoes, one of which caused a death. As the storm passed, the temperature dropped dramatically in places such as New York City.
Less significant events also occurred throughout the winter. On January 3–4, a winter storm caused five deaths, and a 24 hour-long-traffic jam on Interstate 95 in Virginia. On January 22, Canaan, West Virginia set a new all-time record low.West Virginia's Canaan Valley plummets to minus-31, setting record low for region , WV News, January 22, 2022 The cold wave behind it results in five deaths.4 people, including baby and teen, apparently freeze to death near U.S.-Canada border; Florida man charged with human smuggling , CBS News, January 21, 2022 On January 21, a winter storm killed one person in North Carolina when an ambulance slid off the road. A late January blizzard dumps massive snowfall, especially over Boston, and results in four deaths on Long Island. In late February, a winter storm kills two people: one each in Tennessee and Kentucky. On March 28, during a record breaking cold snap, a snow squall on Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania causes six deaths. Another blizzard occurred in mid April, causing one death in North Dakota.
Heat waves and droughts
Temperatures reached record-breaking highs when they were reported at in Onslow, Western Australia, in Phoenix, Arizona, in Sacramento. China experienced the worst heat wave in world history during the summer of 2022. Heat waves in India and Pakistan in the spring caused 90 deaths. North America also had significant heat waves, which caused 19 deaths in July alone. Both July and August saw the warmest daily minimums on record in the United States.July 2022: Warmest nights in U.S. history , Yale Climate Connections, August 8, 2022NOAA Summer/August 2022 State Climate Rankings , Climate Impact Company The heat wave in California in September nearly broke the power grid. In Japan, June saw record-breaking temperatures, with the 40 °C (104 °F) threshold beating the previous record set in 2011. Heat waves in Europe cause 11,000 deaths in France alone. In Antarctica, rain fell on part of the continent, and one province set a monthly record high of .Record-Smashing Heatwaves Are Hitting Antarctica And The Arctic at The Same Time Science Alert, March 22, 2022
Summer in the United States featured a long-lasting heat wave, which led to 117 deaths and $9.3 billion in damage. October 2022 was the hottest on record for Washington State.Washington sets another heat record in October , Capitol Press, November 8, 2022
Tornadoes
During 2022, 28 tornadoes were rated F3/EF3 or higher, with four of those receiving a rating of EF4; twenty EF3 tornadoes and four EF4 tornadoes occurred in the United States, two EF3 tornadoes occurred in China, one F3 occurred in Ukraine and one F3/EF3/T6 occurred in France and Belgium. The strongest tornado of 2022 impacted Pembroke and Black Creek in Georgia at EF4 intensity, with winds estimated at .
Worldwide, 33 tornado-related deaths have been confirmed: 24 in the United States, three in China, two each in Poland and Russia, and one each in the Netherlands and Ukraine.
The first tornadic fatality of the year occurred on February 3, when an EF2 tornado struck Sawyerville, Alabama, killing one person. A tornado outbreak occurred in Poland with at least 11 tornadoes on February 17, resulting in 2 fatalities and 5 injuries. 6 of the 11 tornadoes have been rated F2.
March saw a record number of tornadoes and 3 major outbreaks: 5-7, 21-23, and 29-31. The first tornado outbreak, despite being the smallest, is the deadliest tornado outbreak of 2022, causing 7 deaths of which six were in a low-end EF4 tornado that also caused 5 injuries and $220 million.Iowa Event Report: EF4 Tornado , Storm Events DatabaseIowa Event Report: EF2 Tornado , Storm Events DatabaseIowa Event Report: EF2 Tornado , Storm Events DatabaseIowa Event Report: EF2 Tornado , Storm Events Database The next tornado outbreak caused 3 deaths, plus 3 due to flash flooding in Alabama and one indirect death due to the 2022 New Orleans tornado. This EF3 tornado causes direct and indirect death, at least two injuries, and $32.5 million in damage,Louisiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado , Storm Events DatabaseLouisiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado , Storm Events DatabaseLouisiana Event Report: EF3 Tornado , Storm Events Database as well as 16,000 power outages. The final tornado outbreak is the largest, causing 90 tornadoes. It also causes 3 fatalities. An EF3 tornado in Florida early on March 31 caused two fatalities. Total damage from the storm reached $1.3 billion.
In April, tornadic activity died down a bit, but still featured a tornado outbreak of 87 tornadoes early in the month. That outbreak caused a tornadic death due to an EF4 tornado in Georgia. A storm complex in mid-April also results in a large tornado outbreak, but without fatalities. An EF3 tornado in Texas caused 23 injuries and $100,000 in damage. On April 29, an EF3 tornado near Andover, Kansas caused $41.5 million.Kansas Event Report: EF3 Tornado , NCEIKansas Event Report: EF2 Tornado , NCEI
Tornadic activity slowed significantly after April. However, a significant tornado outbreak did occur across the US and Canada in mid to late May. This included an EF3 tornado in Gaylord, Michigan that caused 2 deaths, 44 injuries and $50.175 million in damage.Michigan Event Report: EF3 Tornado , Storm Events Database, NOAA The storm also helps fuel the May 2022 Canadian derecho that causes 11 deaths. A day before, a European tornado outbreak spawns 9 tornadoes that result in 46 injuries. After that, the next significant outbreak isn't for two months, until July 20. A tornado outbreak in China caused 3 deaths and 26 injuries.
Tropical and subtropical cyclones
On January 5, a tropical disturbance which was designated as 03F formed and was named Cyclone Cody, making it the first system of 2022. Cyclone Tiffany, the second named system of 2022, formed in the Australian region on January 9 and a tropical low designated as 11U formed on January 13, as a second system. On January 20, Tropical Storm Ana formed, which caused 142 deaths and $25 million across Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique due to heavy rainfall and flooding. In the first week of February, Cyclone Batsirai exaggerated Ana's impacts, causing an additional 123 deaths and $190 million in damage. On February 14, Tropical Storm Dumako caused 14 more deaths in Madagascar, On February 23, Cyclone Emnati caused 15 more deaths in Madagascar. In March, Cyclone Gombe caused 72 deaths, with 63 in Mozambique, 7 in Malawi, and 2 in Madagascar. In the South Pacific in early February, Cyclone Dovi caused over $80 million in damages and 1 death across New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Norfolk Island, and New Zealand. In April, Tropical Storm Megi caused severe flooding that resulted in 214 deaths with 132 still missing. At the same time, Typhoon Malakas became a Category 4-equivalent typhoon out to sea. In May, Severe Cyclonic Storm Asani caused significant damage and 3 casualties over southern India in early May with 100 km/h (65 mph) winds. Also in May, Hurricane Agatha made landfall in southern Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane on May 30 with 175 km/h (110 mph) winds, causing 9 deaths and $327 million in damage.
Extratropical cyclones and European windstorms
On January 10, the Hellenic National Meteorological Service named Storm Diomedes, making it the first European Windstorm of the year. The storm killed 1 person, and 1 person remains missing. 11 days later, on January 21, Storm Elpis formed, 3 people were killed and 18 injured after thousands were trapped by a snowstorm in Turkey. On January 28–30, Storm Malik hit Europe, killing 6 People. 2 people died in the United Kingdom, and 1 person died in Denmark, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. Over 29 people were killed across Europe when European Windstorms Dudley and Eunice made landfall on February 16–17 (Dudley) and February 18 (Eunice).
Wildfires
The first deadly wildfire of the year was the Boulder County fires, which started in 2021 and finished on January 1, 2022.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, around 10,000 hectares of forest fires are currently burning near the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, releasing radioactive air.
During the year, wildfires have caused at least $260,849,000 (2022 USD) in damage in the United States.
Timeline This is a timeline of weather events during 2022.
January In January 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documented 13 weather-related fatalities and 18 weather-related injuries in the United States and Territories of the United States.
December 16, 2021 – January 19, 2022 – Floods in Malaysia, locally called Banjir Shah Alam, caused by Tropical Depression 29W, killed 54 people with two missing and caused over $4.77 billion (2021 USD). December 24, 2021 – January 6, 2022 – Tropical Cyclone Seth killed two people and caused severe flooding in southeastern Queensland. December 30, 2021 – January 1, 2022 – Grass fires in Boulder County, Colorado killed one person, left one person missing and injured six others. Wind gusts of were reported and the fire destroyed 1,084 structures and caused $513 million (2022 USD) in damage. December 31, 2021 – January 6, 2022 – Floods in Oman killed at least six people. January 1–4 – A winter storm, unofficially named Winter Storm Frida by The Weather Channel, killed five people, caused 428,000 power outages, and caused damage across the United States and Iceland. January 1–27 – Severe storms and floods in Rwanda killed 15 people and injured 37 others. Seven of the fatalities and 26 of the injuries occurred due to lightning. January 3 – A landslide in China killed four people, injured three others, and left nine missing. January 4 – Floods in Indonesia killed nine people. January 5–13 – Cyclone Cody killed one person and caused over $25 million (2022 USD) in damage across Fiji.