A hot start for Europe in 2023, where previous heat records for January have been smashed in many countries.

ECMWF data of January 1, 2023 (detail of larger ECMWF map in notes)

If the first days of the new year are any indication of what this year will bring to our planet, we should brace for impact. I'm in Europe, where many countries have been struck by an unprecedented heatwave. If this had occurred in August, it would have been disastrous, but it gets much less attention in wintertime. 

However, looking for examples of extreme weather becoming more powerful, look no further than the extreme cold in large parts of North America in late December, followed by the extremely high temperatures in Europe.

At least seven countries started the first day of 2023 with their warmest January weather on record. My country, the Netherlands, was one of these; the temperature