Extreme temperatures and natural disasters strike across the globe

World Today

Extreme weather has taken the world by storm. But whether it’s California rain or desert snow, communities are coping. CGTN’s Jim Spellman reports.

A meter of snow in Switzerland’s popular Zermatt ski resort has trapped thousands of tourists, creating avalanche risks as authorities struggle to dig them out. On the Italian side of the Alps, police patrol on snowmobiles as cars got stuck in the snow.

Kids enjoyed a rare snowfall in the north African nation of Morocco, and a dusting of white powder even topped the orange sands of the Sahara Desert in Algeria.

Heavy rain and winds from a cyclone in Madagascar have left dozens dead, while forcing thousands from their homes.

In California, rains are bringing mudslides to areas left vulnerable by recent wildfires. Several deaths have already been reported related to rain in the state.

But there’s  brighter news from China. Thirty-four couples took advantage of frigid temperatures to get married in a mass wedding during the Harbin International Ice Festival.

The sun finally came out in Washington, D.C. and temperatures are well above freezing after weeks of frigid conditions. It’s difficult to relate any of these single weather events to global warming, but scientists say man-made climate change has contributed to an increase in extreme weather events.