Last year's global weather was far more extreme or record-breaking than anything approaching normal, according to a new report.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday released its annual checkup of the Earth, highlighting numerous records including hottest year, highest sea level, and lowest sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctica.

Hurricane Franklin slammed into Mexico's eastern coast early Thursday, sweeping the region with powerful winds and heavy rain capable of producing deadly flash floods.

Mexico, Belize and Guatemala braced Monday for Tropical Storm Franklin, expected to make landfall overnight on the southern Mexican coast -- possibly at hurricane strength.

Typhoon Noru dumped heavy rain on Japan Tuesday as it moved back out to sea, causing flooding and property damage while the number of injured reportedly rose to 51. 

Average US temperatures have risen dramatically and fast, with recent decades the warmest of the past 1,500 years, according to a draft federal government report cited by The New York Times on Tuesday.

A clean-up operation was under way in Hong Kong Monday after a massive palm oil spillage from a ship collision in mainland Chinese waters clogged some of its most popular beaches. 

Russia's Lake Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake, has extremely high pollution levels, President Vladimir Putin warned Friday while visiting the Siberian lake.

Germany on Thursday moved to block the distribution of hundreds of thousands of eggs mainly from the Netherlands contaminated by a toxic insecticide outlawed from use in the production of food.

Rising carbon dioxide levels from global warming will drastically reduce the amount of protein in staple crops like rice and wheat, leaving vulnerable populations at risk of growth stunting and early death, experts warned Wednesday.

Two satellites including one dedicated to monitoring the effects of climate change on vegetation were successfully launched into orbit late Tuesday, launch company Arianespace said.