From deep freeze to drought: 10 extreme weather events

Buffalo lake-effect

Storms such as the one shown above, whichblew inoff Lake Erie last November and dumpeda year's worth of snow in a week on western New York state, arein partlinked tohuman-causedclimate change, according to anewly releasedstudy by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The report, titledExplaining Extreme Events of 2014 from a Climate Perspective,looked at individual extreme weather events such as wildfires, floods and winter storms (such as the deadly polar vortex) and found links tohuman causeson every continent except Antarctica. Here is a look at photos from some of the most recent and dramatic extreme weather events from Canada and around the world.

Flash floods in France

Last October, record-breaking downpours led to damaging floodsin parts of southern France, including the seasideLanguedoc-Roussillonregion,where rapidlyrising waters upended cars.

Hawaii hit by first hurricane in decades

In the Pacific Ocean,Hurricane Isellethe strongesttropical cycloneto hit theBig Island of Hawaiiin recorded historywas preceded by massive surf like these waves pounding the shore atPohoiki lastAugust. Damaging winds caused widespread power outages and nearly wiped out the island's papaya crop.

Prairie floods

Heavy rainssoaked southwest Manitoba, too.The NOAA report specifically mentioned climate change and land use (farmers draining wetlands) playing a role in floods across the Canadian Prairies in 2014a year that sawmany low- lying areas, including the airport in Brandon, inundated.

Drought in Brazil

The hottest summer on record in parts of BrazilincludingSao Paulo, where thisdam holds back nothing but dirtcontributedto severedrought and drinkingwater shortages in 2014. However, the reportdid not link every event withclimate change. Droughts in particular could have more to do with mismanagement andpopulation growth than CO2 emissions, the report says.

India heatwave

The extreme weather trend continuedinto 2015.In India, it got so hot in May that road markings meltedin New Delhi. Nearly2,000people are reported to have died as temperatures approached 50 C in parts of the country.

Western Europe sizzles

Many Western Europeans endured the hottest July on record this year, driving holiday-makers,like these people in Haltern, Germany,to the coast in droves. Thewidespread, long-lasting heatwave affected much of France, Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands and western Germany.

Saskatchewan wildfires

A hot, dry July in western North America led to an active wildfire season, especially in Saskatchewan, where thousands of rural residents were evacuated on the heels of fast-moving flames. Here, a wind-whipped blazeapproachesthe La Ronge airport. Smoke from fires in the West blew all the way across the country this summer.

California fires

South of the border, destructive wildfires burned tens of thousands of hectares of drought-parched forest from Washington state to California, where a state of emergency was called for several communities in the Napa Valley wine region. Here, firefighters battlethe so-called Rouge Firein theSequoia National Forestin August.

Sydney stormclouds

In a related report inJuly,NOAAsaid increasing temperatures in the Earth's oceans, some of which also hitrecord highs last year, likely play a partin the frequence and severity of storms such asthis one rolling over Sydney Harbourin Australiaon Nov. 6.

NOAA's recent findings come weeks before world leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,are scheduled to gather inParisfortheCOP21World Climate Summit, runningfrom Nov.30 to Dec.11.