According to a study by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the number of extreme weather events has increased substantially. Over the last twenty years, natural disasters have claimed more than one million lives and affected around four billion people one way or another.
For more, check out Sputnik's photogallery, where we've gathered together some of the most striking images of Mother Nature's fury over the past year.
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© AP Photo / Noah Berger
According to statistics, wildfires have consumed more than 4,359,517 acres of California in 2020, damaging or destroying approximately 10,488 buildings and killing at least 33 people.
Above: A firefighter passes a burning tree while battling the Bond Fire in the Silverado community of Orange County, California on Thursday, 3 December 2020.
Above: A firefighter passes a burning tree while battling the Bond Fire in the Silverado community of Orange County, California on Thursday, 3 December 2020.
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© AP Photo / Gustavo Andrade
At least 30 people died during July flooding in Brazil's Belo Horizonte. Severe rainstorms affected coffee fields in the area, which traditionally contribute to the Brazilian economy.
Above: A man sweeps muddy water from a shop after floods in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Wednesday, 29 January 2020.
Above: A man sweeps muddy water from a shop after floods in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Wednesday, 29 January 2020.
In October, deadly flooding hit southeastern France. The flooding was caused by a storm called "Alex" that brought devastating rainfalls with it. The French Army was deployed to tackle the flood and its aftermath, because there had been reports of individuals going missing.
Above: This aerial view taken on 3 October 2020 shows flood waters surging through Saint-Martin-Vesubie, southeastern France, after heavy rains and floodings hit the Alpes-Maritimes department.
Above: This aerial view taken on 3 October 2020 shows flood waters surging through Saint-Martin-Vesubie, southeastern France, after heavy rains and floodings hit the Alpes-Maritimes department.
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© AP Photo / Steve Parsons
Around the same time, many parts of the UK were also hit by "Alex", bringing high winds and resulting in power outages, flooding, and road closures. Aid workers and the army were sent out to help battle the storm.
Above: A man walks through waves as they crash along the coast at Swanage in Dorset, England, Friday, 2 October 2020.
Above: A man walks through waves as they crash along the coast at Swanage in Dorset, England, Friday, 2 October 2020.
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© AP Photo
In March, the Croatian capital Zagreb experienced the aftermath of a 5.5-magnitude earthquake that destroyed buildings in the city and left some parts of it without electricity. The earthquake resulted in one death and 26 people being injured. Total damage was estimated at some €5.6 billion. The calamity came just days after the country went on lockdown in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Above: A collapsed wall leaves an exposed home and crushed cars after an earthquake in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, 22 March 2020.
Above: A collapsed wall leaves an exposed home and crushed cars after an earthquake in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, 22 March 2020.
Australia witnessed its worst bushfire season in decades, with large parts of the country affected since it began in late July 2019. At least 28 people died nationwide, and over 1 billion mammals, birds, and reptiles were estimated to have perished.
Above: An injured Koala is being treated at a makeshift field hospital at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park on Kangaroo Island on 14 January 2020.
Above: An injured Koala is being treated at a makeshift field hospital at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park on Kangaroo Island on 14 January 2020.
January's wildfire burned Brazil's largest wetlands, killing thousands of wild animals. The fire had been spreading since July, destroying a record 23,490 square kilometres of forests, including the Amazon rainforest, tropical vegetation, and fauna long believed to be the "lungs of the planet".
Above: A member of the Forest Guardians fights the fires in a forested area of Alto Rio Guama, east of Belem, Para, Brazil on 17 September 2020.
Above: A member of the Forest Guardians fights the fires in a forested area of Alto Rio Guama, east of Belem, Para, Brazil on 17 September 2020.
A total of nine Spanish provinces were on red alert amid troublesome weather conditions in January. The "Gloria" weather front left around 20,000 homes without electricity in Spain's Alicante Province alone.
Above: A woman walks with difficulty on Barcelona's El Bogatell beach due to the strong wind as the storm "Gloria" batters the east coast of Spain on 21 January 2020.
Above: A woman walks with difficulty on Barcelona's El Bogatell beach due to the strong wind as the storm "Gloria" batters the east coast of Spain on 21 January 2020.
Prolonged floods in central Vietnam affected nearly a million people. Since early October, at least 189 people have been killed, 60 went missing, and an estimated 84,000 hectares of crops were damaged in the Southeast Asian country due to the floodwaters. The floods also affected neighbouring areas of Cambodia and Laos.
Above: An aerial picture shows the imperial city of Hue, submerged in floodwaters caused by heavy downpours in central Vietnam on 12 October 2020.
Above: An aerial picture shows the imperial city of Hue, submerged in floodwaters caused by heavy downpours in central Vietnam on 12 October 2020.
Venice was flooded with water in November, with extremely heavy rain and strong winds causing the tide to surge. The floodwaters reached as high as 145 centimetres.
Above: A woman stands in flooded St. Mark's Square during high tide as the flood barriers known as MOSE are not raised, in Venice, Italy, 8 December 2020.
Above: A woman stands in flooded St. Mark's Square during high tide as the flood barriers known as MOSE are not raised, in Venice, Italy, 8 December 2020.
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© AP Photo / Aaron Favila
A tropical storm, part of an annual system known locally as the Vongfong, hit the Philippines in May, with wind speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour, causing extensive damage by cutting electricity, blowing off rooftops, felling trees, and landslides.
Above: Workers fold up a billboard to prepare for the coming of typhoon Vongfong, in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, 14 May 2020.
Above: Workers fold up a billboard to prepare for the coming of typhoon Vongfong, in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, 14 May 2020.
The Lewotolo volcano on Lomblen Island in southern Indonesia erupted in November and spewed smoke and ash over 13,000 feet up. It had been 8 years since the last eruption, and this time the volcano's seismic activity caused a new chain of earthquakes in the region. More than 10,000 people had to be evacuated from the surrounding territories, as the eruptions continued until December.
Above: This handout photo taken and released on 29 November 2020 by the Geological Agency of Indonesia shows a volcanic eruption from Mount Ili Lewotolok in Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara spewing ash some 4,000 metres high.
Above: This handout photo taken and released on 29 November 2020 by the Geological Agency of Indonesia shows a volcanic eruption from Mount Ili Lewotolok in Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara spewing ash some 4,000 metres high.
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© AP Photo / Aaron Favila
At least nine people died, and six others were injured in the Philippines as a result of typhoon Molave (Quinta). The total damage to agriculture and infrastructure was estimated at approximately 430 million Philippine pesos ($8.9 million).
Above: Residents wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus ride motorcycles as they negotiate a flooded road due to Typhoon Molave in Pampanga Province, the northern Philippines on Monday, 26 October 2020.
Above: Residents wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus ride motorcycles as they negotiate a flooded road due to Typhoon Molave in Pampanga Province, the northern Philippines on Monday, 26 October 2020.
Hurricane Iota was the first cyclone to reach Category 5 status in the 2020 hurricane season. It was also only the second storm with the rating to be recorded in the Atlantic basin this November.
Above: In this file photo taken on 27 November 2020, people burn debris from their homes in Bilwi, in the Northern Caribbean Autonomous Region, Nicaragua, days after the passage of Hurricane Iota.
Above: In this file photo taken on 27 November 2020, people burn debris from their homes in Bilwi, in the Northern Caribbean Autonomous Region, Nicaragua, days after the passage of Hurricane Iota.
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© AP Photo / Angie Wang
Hurricane Sally hit the US in mid-September. It strengthened into a Category 2 with 100 mph winds.
Above: A damaged business is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, Thursday, 17 September 2020, in Perdido Key, Florida.
Above: A damaged business is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, Thursday, 17 September 2020, in Perdido Key, Florida.
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© AP Photo / AFAD
In October, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake shook western Turkey, with its epicentre located in the Aegean Sea near the city of Seferihisar, Izmir Province. The death toll from the earthquake was 109, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency. The number of injured was over 1,000. The earthquake also affected nearby Greek islands, including Samos, where two people died and 20 were injured. Greek seismologists estimated the earthquake's magnitude at 6.9.
Above: In this photo provided by the government's Search and Rescue agency AFAD, rescue workers trying to reach survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building, surround Ayda Gezgin in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir, Tuesday, 3 November 2020.
Above: In this photo provided by the government's Search and Rescue agency AFAD, rescue workers trying to reach survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building, surround Ayda Gezgin in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir, Tuesday, 3 November 2020.
In August, a deadly flash flood caused by heavy rainfall killed approximately 190 people and injured 250 others in Afghanistan's Parwan Province. Casualties and damage were also reported in the provinces of Kapisa, Maidan Wardak, Nangarhar, Panjshir, and Pakita.
Above: A young villager retrieves belongings from the debris of houses after a flash flood affected the area of Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan Province, on 26 August 26 2020.
Above: A young villager retrieves belongings from the debris of houses after a flash flood affected the area of Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan Province, on 26 August 26 2020.
The Pacaya volcano, seen from the village of Rodeo in the municipality of San Vicente Pacaya about 45 km south of Guatemala City, erupts on 20 June 2020.
Almost 15,000 houses and residential buildings were destroyed, damaged, or flooded as a result of the downpours mainly in southwest Japan in July. Non-stop heavy rains resulted in floods and landslides in many residential areas. According to the authorities, a total of 14,800 houses were damaged.
Above: A Japan Self-Defence Force (JSDF) soldier walks in a area hit by torrential rain in Ashikita, Kumamoto prefecture on 7 July 2020.
Above: A Japan Self-Defence Force (JSDF) soldier walks in a area hit by torrential rain in Ashikita, Kumamoto prefecture on 7 July 2020.
Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth declared an environmental emergency over a massive fuel spill from the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio that ran aground near the island nation in August.
Above: A man scoops leaked oil from the vessel MV Wakashio, a Panamanian-flagged Japanese ship that ran aground near Blue Bay Marine Park off the southeast coast of Mauritius on 8 August 2020.
Above: A man scoops leaked oil from the vessel MV Wakashio, a Panamanian-flagged Japanese ship that ran aground near Blue Bay Marine Park off the southeast coast of Mauritius on 8 August 2020.
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© AP Photo / Nikiforos Stamenis
Cyclone Ianos hit Greece in September. The country suffered severe agricultural damage in rural areas due to the storm and local authorities declared a state of emergency for the islands of Ithaca, Kefalonia, and Zakynthos.
Above: Vehicles are covered with rocks following a storm in the village of Assos, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Sunday, 20 September 2020.
Above: Vehicles are covered with rocks following a storm in the village of Assos, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Sunday, 20 September 2020.
Monsoon floods put parts of Bangladesh under water and heavily flooded northern and northeastern districts of the country in July.
Above: This file photo taken on 15 July 2020, shows flooded houses in Sunamganj, Bangladesh.
Above: This file photo taken on 15 July 2020, shows flooded houses in Sunamganj, Bangladesh.
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© AP Photo / Marwan Ali
In September 2020, continuous heavy rains flooded parts of Sudan, affecting more than three million people and destroying more than 100,000 homes.
Above: Young boys navigate a flooded street on a makeshift raft through the town of Salmaniya, about 25 miles (35 km) southwest of the capital, Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, 17 September 2020.
Above: Young boys navigate a flooded street on a makeshift raft through the town of Salmaniya, about 25 miles (35 km) southwest of the capital, Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, 17 September 2020.
Indonesia's Mount Semeru erupted at the beginning of December. More than 500 people were forced to temporarily leave their homes to find shelter.
Above: A villager watches a steaming stream caused by a lava flow in Lumajang, East Java Province on 2 December 2020, following the eruption of the Mount Semeru volcano.
Above: A villager watches a steaming stream caused by a lava flow in Lumajang, East Java Province on 2 December 2020, following the eruption of the Mount Semeru volcano.
