The year 2025 was marked by a series of devastating natural disasters worldwide, from wildfires and storms to floods. North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East faced severe challenges as extreme weather destroyed homes, claimed lives and disrupted daily life.
The year began with a major wildfire outbreak in Southern California on 7 January.
The Eaton Fire ignited in Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Pasadena amid powerful Santa Ana winds and exceptionally dry conditions.
The blaze spread rapidly into surrounding foothill communities, burning more than 14,000 acres and destroying thousands of homes and other structures.
At least 19 people were killed, several others were injured and tens of thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, making it one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California’s history.
Later in January, Storm Herminia struck western France, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and widespread flooding.
Meteorological services placed several departments under orange and red alerts, with wind gusts exceeding 130 km/h along exposed coasts and intense rainfall across Brittany, Normandy and the Loire-Atlantique region.
Rivers including the Vilaine and the Orne rose sharply, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate and inundating towns such as Rennes, where authorities described the flooding as the worst in more than 40 years.
In early March, torrential rain caused flooding across parts of Spain’s Canary Islands, leading to road closures, inundated streets and travel disruption as authorities warned residents to stay off the roads.
On 14 March, wildfires erupted across Oklahoma, fuelled by strong winds and dry vegetation. The fires destroyed hundreds of structures, prompted a state of emergency and resulted in dozens of injuries.
Later that month, South Korea experienced some of the deadliest wildfires in its modern history, particularly in the southeastern region. Multiple blazes broke out across North and South Gyeongsang provinces, driven by dry conditions and strong winds.
At least 26 people, including firefighters and a helicopter pilot, were killed, and tens of thousands were forced to evacuate. Hundreds of buildings and large areas of forest were destroyed, making it the country’s worst wildfire disaster in terms of both loss of life and area burned.
Wildfires also affected the Mediterranean during the summer.
On 22 June, the Greek island of Chios was engulfed by flames, prompting the evacuation of several villages. In early July, fires in western Turkiye’s İzmir province, including around Çeşme, spread from forested areas into residential districts.
Tens of thousands of people were evacuated as homes and infrastructure were damaged. Firefighting operations, involving ground crews and aerial support, continued for days. At least two people were killed.
In mid-August, heavy monsoon rains and cloudbursts triggered severe flooding in northern Pakistan, particularly in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Buner district.
Authorities declared flood emergencies and launched large-scale rescue operations as homes were destroyed and lives were lost.
Towards the end of the year, flooding again hit parts of the United States. In December, persistent rainfall caused the Green River to overflow in parts of King County, Washington State, forcing evacuations and road closures.
Over the Christmas period, Southern California was struck by a powerful atmospheric river storm that brought intense rainfall, flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows.
Some areas recorded near-record rainfall totals, prompting evacuation orders, travel disruption and emergency declarations.
Across the year, these disasters highlighted the growing impact of extreme weather and climate-related hazards.
Scientists and emergency agencies repeatedly stressed the need for stronger preparedness, resilient infrastructure and effective emergency planning to reduce the human and economic toll of future disasters.
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Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
Amid ongoing conflicts and geopolitical tension, 2025 became a year defined not only by confrontation but also by a series of diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing violence, easing humanitarian crises and opening paths to long-term stability.
In 2025, climate talks, security negotiations and trade diplomacy defined a year of high-level summits. Leaders met across continents to confront conflict, debate climate responsibility and shape global priorities. Some eased tensions, others exposed divisions, but all left their mark.
The year 2025 was marked by widespread protests and civil unrest across multiple regions, as citizens took to the streets to voice anger over political decisions, economic pressures, governance failures and social inequality.
From the invasion of Ukraine to today’s border ceasefire in Southeast Asia, the global security architecture has undergone a period of unprecedented strain.
The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, held in Tianjin, China, has been hailed as one of the most significant gatherings in the bloc’s history.
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