Natural disasters kill an average of 60,000 people per year and are responsible for 0.1 per cent of global deaths, according to data. With climate change becoming more and more evident, we bring to you some natural disasters that shook the world in 2021.

The Canadian heatwave

A suffocating heatwave in June killed 569 people in the state of British Columbia in Canada‘s westernmost province in just a span of five days. At that time, the temperature soared up and the province and the territories were named the “heat dome”. Climate change contributed to this record-shattering heat, the experts said.

Germany’s cry

In July, swaths of Germany witnessed the most devastating floods in low-lying towns for the first time in 60 years. Approximately 170 people died when a European country was hit by its worst natural disaster in decades. Infrastructure, phone networks were damaged severely and this led to somewhere around 100,000 people without hydropower and electricity.

Italy’s rage

The city of Sicily along with southern Calabria was blazed in August, with firefighters battling more than 500 blazes in the entire region. The temperature soared the highest in Europe, which was believed to be the highest in history. The temperature recorded was 119.8 Fahrenheit or 48.8 degrees Celsius.

Greece’s destruction

Wildfires ravaged Greece and it was heavily affected. Evia, the second largest island in the country, was evacuated as more than 580 fires swept through the region. A huge region of natural forests was destroyed, including in the capital of Athens. Fatalities were reported and many were left injured.

The US storm

Hurricane Ida hit the US east coast in August during the rainy season and was recorded to be the strongest hurricane that hit the continental US. The storm killed at least 45 people from Maryland to New York, and also left vital infrastructure damaged. More than a million homes were left without power in Mississippi. New Orleans was plugged into a complete blackout.

Storm Filomena in Spain

In the first week of January, Spain was hit by one of its deadliest snowstorm since 1971 which killed scores.  The country’s weather agency described it as “exceptional and most likely historic” conditions caused by Storm Filomena.

At the time, the extreme conditions put four other regions in the centre of the country on alert for days. According to the New York Times, the snowstorm caused damage estimated at about 1.4 billion euros ($1.6bn).

UK floods

On January 18, the United Kingdom saw some of its heaviest precipitations in decades. For three consecutive days, Storm Christoph brought significant rain and widespread flooding across the country. Residents evacuated their homes in parts of England, while the snowfall that followed led to travel disruptions and road closures.

Fiji cyclone

One of three tropical cyclones which hit Fiji at the end of January one after the other, tropical cyclone Ana killed one person, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and left millions of pounds of damage.

Greece wildfires

August began with Greece’s most severe heat wave in decades and turned into one of the country’s most destructive fire seasons.

Greece’s fire department sent firefighters and aircraft to respond to a blaze that broke out on the country’s second-largest island, Evia.

The country was scorched by several wildfires earlier this month amid its most severe heat wave in decades.

The northeastern island of Evia was particularly hard-hit, with a major wildfire burning for more than 10 days in Evia’s north.