These charts show what made 2023 the hottest year on record
A breakdown of the numbers and elements that made 2023 the hottest year on record paints a picture of what's to come.
Elderly couple found dead after heater reached 1,000 degrees
"One firefighter stated the heater was so hot it looked as if the basement was currently on fire," the police report said of the incident that left Joan Littlejohn and Glennwood Fowler dead.
Millions of tiny plastics flood Spain's coast after falling from ship
Dozens of 55-pound bags of the tiny plastic pellets known as nurdles, which are known to be a major source of microplastic pollution, have washed up in northwest Spain in recent weeks.
Humpback whales create stunning spiral to capture prey
Two humpback whales used the "Golden Spiral" to go hunting – and it created a "mesmerising dance" that one lucky photographer says he'll never forget.
Avian flu kills polar bear for first time ever
Rampant avian flu that has impacted millions of birds in the U.S. has now killed a polar bear for the first time ever recorded.
iPhone sucked out of Alaska Airlines plane found intact and working
The iPhone was found with a broken charger under a bush after being sucked out of a plane 16,000 feet in the air – and still had the flight passenger's confirmation and baggage claim information open.
Englishman builds wall around home after years of flooding
As Nick Lupton and his wife experience "one of the highest floods we've ever had," they're putting their new self-made defense system to the test.
1,400-pound great white shark makes New Year's appearance off Florida
Breton, a more than 13-foot-long great white shark, previously went viral for seemingly traveling along a path that resembles the outline of a shark.
See the massive rogue wave in California that swept away a pickup truck
Forecasters are warning of an "exceptionally dangerous" wave event along California's coast that "has not occurred in many years."
French man allegedly kills wife and 4 young kids on Christmas
"A whole family was killed," said the town's mayor. "It's an absolute horror."
Rare rainbow clouds form over Ireland and England
One local described the early morning colorful clouds, known formally as nacreous clouds, as "utterly transfixing."
Man rescued near erupting Iceland volcano
A volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula started erupting earlier this week, shooting lava fountains nearly 100 feet in the air and creating a 2.5-mile-long fissure.
"Christmas tree cluster" found glowing green in space
The dazzling green tree with seemingly sparkling blue and white lights was found in the Milky Way and is a formation of young stars – some bigger than the sun.
2023 is officially the hottest year ever recorded, scientists say
After record-breaking temperatures in November, the E.U.'s Copernicus Climate Change Service determined 2023 will officially be the hottest year humanity has experienced.
Rare gigantic rat caught on camera for first time
Researchers were able to attract "one of the world's rarest rodents" in their endangered habitat using glass oil lamps filled with sesame oil.