Balearic Islands hit by snow: In early March, the Balearic Islands experienced snowfall due to a pronounced low-pressure system called Juliette. Higher elevations of the islands were most affected by snow, whereas coastal regions and flat terrain experienced partly heavy rainfall and stormy weather. More information can be found on our weather news issued at that time.
Climate anomalies in March: The snowfall on the Balearic Islands did not hold back the arrival of spring for long. Altogether, March was extremely varied, offering a handful of record-breaking anomalies. According to NOAA, the March 2023 average global surface temperature was the second highest since global records began in 1850. Numerous large regions on different continents recorded one of the warmest March months ever; Iceland, for instance, registered its coldest month since 1979. This fact can be seen on our global monthly temperature anomaly map for March 2023.
Severe Tropical Cyclone: Cyclone Freddy caused a stir at the beginning of February, initially in the form of a disturbance. It then caused havoc until mid-March, and since then, it was considered as one of the most dangerous tropical cyclones ever. Back in March, we also wrote weather news about Cyclone Freddy. Click here to read the article. Freddy originated as a disturbance west of the Australian continent, moved across the South Indian Ocean, hit the island of Madagascar, hit Mozambique, went offshore, intensified again and lastly, hit Malawi. Over the entire period, his path covers over 5000 miles, making it one of the longest-lived ever observed. Our satellite map allows you to access worldwide high-resolution satellite images, and with our premium website subscription point+, you can go back to 2019 and investigate such storms, as shown on the screenshot.
The satellite images illustrate the pathway of Cyclone Freddy during February 2023 (from right to left). As Freddy moves within the southern hemisphere, it can be recognized due to its anti-cyclonic vortex structure. Cyclones are low-pressure systems which rotate anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere due to the Coriolis force. The satellite picture series even shows the so-called eye of the cyclone. The eye marks typically the centre of the vortex, characterised by a cloud-free zone due to downdrafts and almost absent wind currents.
El Niño on the rise? Reports about the possible onset of El Niño intensified in the springtime. El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon shaped by ocean surface temperature anomalies in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the 0° latitude. The phenomenon’s interaction with the climate system is extremely complex, with many questions unanswered. However, depending on the strength of the El Niño, it leads to a cascade of global impacts. During an El Nino year, there is a warming of the water surface temperature in the eastern Pacific near the equator. During an El Niña year, which is basically the contrary to El Niño with meteorological aspects turned around, cooling is expected. Every few years, a reversal of the system can be determined. Once an effect is observed, it remains for several months. Especially El Niño events can lead to global impacts, including intense rainfall, droughts, and unusual temperatures, affecting agriculture, fisheries, and weather patterns. The graph below illustrates the development of the potential El Niño from April to June 23, whereas in July, the expected event has emerged.
Early heat in Spain, tornados in the USA and solar eclipse in southeast Asia: By the end of March, we reported about an early heat event in Spain with temperatures above average. Later in April, the US tornado season started causing huge damage. But spring also showed a less destructive side. For instance, the people of Australia and South-East Asia witnessed a natural spectacle on April 20th. A moon shadow, created by a solar eclipse, moved from the Indian Ocean towards Australia. This event could also be seen on our satellite maps.
In the following third report of our four-part review of the year 2023, we will have a closer look at the summertime from June to August, which was the world’s hottest northern hemispheric summer since recording.
