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Natural disasters that plagued the world in 2023

Devastating natural disasters and extreme weather events killed, displaced tens of thousands of people across the world.

A man stands on the rubble of collapsed buildings in Hatay on February 10, 2023, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country's southeast.
A man stands on the rubble of collapsed buildings in Hatay, Turkey on February 10, 2023, after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the country's southeast. [Yasin Akgul/AFP]
Published On 27 Dec 2023

Natural calamities and harsh weather dominated news headlines in 2023.

Seismic tremors, massive floods, raging wildfires, unrelenting droughts, landslides, cyclones and storms hit around the world, killing and displacing tens of thousands of people.

The most destructive event of the year was a twin earthquake with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 that struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border on February 6. An estimated 14 million people, representing 16 percent of Turkey’s population, were affected. Confirmed deaths totalled 50,783 in Turkey and 8,476 in Syria.

On September 8, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck western Morocco, killing at least 2,900 people and wounding 5,500.  A magnitude 6.3 earthquake rocked western Afghanistan on October 7. It was followed by another magnitude 6.3 earthquake four days later and a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on October 15, killing almost 3,000.

Typhoon Doksuri caused significant rainfall and flooding throughout at least 16 cities and provinces in northeastern China on July 29. In September, Mediterranean Storm Daniel passed across eastern Libya, leaving a path of devastation.

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In September, October and November, storms also caused flooding in Mexico, Hong Kong and Western Europe.

The Horn of Africa – only slowly emerging from a devastating drought that left millions hungry – also experienced heavy rainfall and floods linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon. The flash floods in November killed dozens of people and caused large-scale displacement in Kenya, as well as Somalia and Ethiopia.

On the other hand, record droughts caused river levels to fall and other water bodies to dry up across various parts of the world, including the Amazon rainforest.

Scientists say these kinds of extreme weather events will become more common and more severe as the earth warms.

Here are some images that show some of the major disasters of 2023 around the world and their effects on people, animals and the natural landscape.

A city employee dig graves in a mass grave area following an earthquake in Hatay, on February 10, 2023.
A city employee digs graves following an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, in February. [Yasin Akgul/AFP]
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An aerial view of houses covered with volcanic ash at an area affected by the eruption of Mount Merapi volcano in Magelang, Central Java province, Indonesia, March 13, 2023.
An aerial view of houses covered with volcanic ash following the eruption of Mount Merapi volcano in Magelang, Central Java province, Indonesia, on March 13, 2023. [Antara Foto/Hendra Nurdiyansyah/via Reuters]
A man walks on the cracked ground of the Baells reservoir as drinking water supplies have plunged to their lowest level since 1990 due to extreme drought in Catalonia, in the village of Cersc, in the region Bergueda, Spain.
Drinking water supplies have plunged to their lowest level since 1990 due to extreme drought in Catalonia. Here, a man walks on the cracked ground of the Baells reservoir, in the village of Cersc, in the Bergueda region, Spain, on March 14, 2023. [Nacho Doce/Reuters]
A backyard pool is left hanging on a cliffside after torrential rain brought havoc on the beachfront town of San Clemente, California, U.S.
A backyard pool is left hanging on a cliffside after torrential rain wrought havoc on the beachfront town of San Clemente, California, on March 16, 2023. [Mike Blake/ Reuters]
Mr. Sun recovers belongings from his house following strong rains and floods in the mountains of Mentougou District, west of Beijing, China.
A man recovers belongings from his house following floods in the mountains of Mentougou district, west of Beijing, China, on August 4, 2023. Beijing recorded its heaviest rainfall in 140 years as Typhoon Doksuri caused the evacuation of thousands and 21 deaths. [Mark R. Cristino/EPA-EFE]
Flames and smoke rise from a line of trees as a wildfire burns at the Dadia National Park in the region of Evros, Greece.
Flames and smoke rise from a line of trees as a wildfire burns at the Dadia National Park in the region of Evros, Greece, on September 1, 2023. [Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters]
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Dead sheep are seen in an area flooded due to the impact of storm Daniel in the city of Volos, Greece.
Dead sheep in the city of Volos, Greece, on September 6, 2023, following floods caused by Storm Daniel. [Giorgos Moutafis/Reuters]
A volunteer helps salvage furniture from homes which were damaged by the earthquake, in the town of Imi N'tala, outside Marrakech, Morocco.
A volunteer helps salvage furniture from homes, damaged by an earthquake, in the town of Imi N'Tala, outside Marrakech, Morocco, on September 13, 2023. [Mosa'ab Elshamy/ AP Photo]
Rescuers recover the body of a victim killed during flooding in Derna, Libya.
Rescuers recover the body of a victim killed during flooding in Derna, Libya, on September 15, 2023. Search teams combed streets, wrecked buildings, and even the sea to look for bodies after the collapse of two dams unleashed a massive flash flood that killed thousands. [Ricardo Garcia Vilanova/AP Photo]
Rescuers and relatives sit in front of collapsed buildings after recent flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel, in Derna, Libya.
Rescuers and relatives sit in front of collapsed buildings after flooding caused by Storm Daniel, in Derna, Libya, on September 18, 2023. [Muhammad J. Elalwany/AP Photo]
Afghan mourners offer mass funeral prayers for the people killed in a series of earthquakes in Zendeh Jan district of Herat province.
Afghan mourners offer funeral prayers for people killed in a series of earthquakes in Zendeh Jan district of Herat province on October 9, 2023. [Mohsen Karimi/AFP]
People wade over flood waters after a section of road was destroyed by floods at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa, North Eastern Kenya.
People wade through floodwaters after a section of road was destroyed in Mororo, North Eastern Kenya, on November 30, 2023. [AP Photo]
In this photo supplied by IFAW, an elephant lies dead metres from a watering hole in Hwange National Park.
An elephant's body lies metres from a watering hole in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, on December 5, 2023. At least 100 elephants died in the country's largest national park due to drought, their decaying carcasses a grisly sign of what wildlife authorities and conservation groups say is the impact of climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon. [Privilege Musvanhiri/IFAW via AP]
In an aerial view, a mobile home park where three people perished is seen in the aftermath of a tornado on December 10, 2023 in Madison, Tennessee.
A mobile home park where three people perished is seen in the aftermath of a tornado on December 10, 2023 in Madison, Tennessee. Multiple long-track tornadoes were reported in northwest Tennessee in December, causing multiple deaths and injuries and widespread damage. [Jon Cherry/Getty Images/AFP]
Stranded residents stand on a road, a large section of which has washed away, in the suburb of Holloways Beach in Cairns, Australia.
Stranded residents stand on a road, a large section of which has washed away, in the suburb of Holloways Beach in Cairns, Australia, on December 18, 2023. [Joshua Prieto/AAP Image via AP]
People are seen at a temporary shelter in the main square in Dahejia in Jishishan County in northwest China's Gansu province.
People are seen at a temporary shelter in the main square in Dahejia, in Jishishan County, Gansu province, on December 20, 2023. Survivors of China's deadliest earthquake in years huddled in aid tents after overnight temperatures plunged well below zero, with the death toll rising to 131. [Pedro Pardo/AFP]