10 Pics of Extreme Weather Around the World

1. 1. Drought in the U.S.

   2012 was the hottest year, ever, in the United States. More than half of the continental U.S. experienced drought, which dehydrated crops and sparked wildfires across the country.

   Photo via Mark Wilson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

   

2. 2. Floods throughout the U.K.

   Storms and floods swept the UK, and Britain's weather service rightfully declared 2012 the wettest year in England.

   Photo via Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

   

3. 3. Record cold in China

   China experiences its coldest winter in decades, with temperatures hitting the lowest in 28 years. But a little cold doesn't stop this guy.

   Photo via Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images

   

4. 4. Typhoons in the Philippines

   A series of typhoons, including Typhoon Bopha, pictured above, killed hundreds and left thousands homeless.

   Photo via STR/AFP/Getty Images

   

5. 5. Subzero in Russia

   Temperatures in Eastern Russia reached negative 50 degrees Fahrenheit, freezing this woman's eyebrows. Also, see this video of boiling water freezing instantly in Siberian air.

   Photo via AFP/AFP/Getty Images

   

6. 6. Hurricane Sandy

   Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the U.S.'s east coast and the Caribbean, leaving millions without power, thousands flooded and devastating neighborhoods.

   Photo via Andrew Burton/Getty Images News/Getty Images

   

7. 7. Heat wave in Brazil

   A heat wave claimed the lives of 32 people in two days. Temperatures hit 109.7 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest national temperature since 1915.

   Photo via Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty Images

   

8. 8. Earthquakes all over

   A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck southwest Mexico in March. Another rocked Guatemala in November, and Indonesia was hit in December.

   Photo via AFP/AFP/Getty Images

   

9. 9. Snow storm in Italy

   In February, Sicily and southern Italy were slammed with snow storms for the first time since World War II. Then in December, tornadoes had their way with the Italian coast.

   Photo via Mario Laporta/AFP/Getty Images

   

10. 10. Flooding in Pakistan

    People carried their belongings through the flash floods and torrential rains, and more than 400 lives were lost.

    Photo via Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images

    

11. 11. Palm trees and snow

    To kick off 2013, Mother Nature hit Jerusalem with a snow storm, the first in 21 years.

    Photo via Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

    

12. 12. Australian bush fires

    Burnt sheep lie in a field ravaged by Australian bush fires this week. Meteorologists reported the country's hottest spring and summer on record in 2012.

    Photo via Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images

    

From heat waves and hurricanes to earthquakes and droughts, 2012 shattered weather records around the world. And more bizarre conditions are welcoming 2013 with a bang, as a snow storm blanketed palm trees in Jerusalem for the first time in 21 years on Thursday. In Australia, high winds are fueling more than 100 bush fires along the eastern and southeastern coasts.

Take a look through our slideshow of weird weather, featuring breathtaking — albeit terrifying — photos of floods in the Philippines, tornadoes in Italy and more.

What extreme weather moments did we miss? Let us know in the comments.

Thumbnail photo via Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images