![]() | Afghanistan | damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts |
![]() | Albania | destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought |
![]() | Algeria | mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season |
![]() | American Samoa | typhoons common from December to March |
![]() | Andorra | avalanches |
![]() | Angola | locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau |
![]() | Anguilla | frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October) |
![]() | Antarctica | katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may calve from ice shelf |
![]() | Antigua and Barbuda | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts |
![]() | Arctic Ocean | ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May |
![]() | Argentina | San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding |
![]() | Armenia | occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts |
![]() | Aruba | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt |
![]() | Ashmore and Cartier Islands | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards |
![]() | Atlantic Ocean | icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September; hurricanes (May to December) |
![]() | Australia | cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires |
![]() | Austria | landslides; avalanches; earthquakes |
![]() | Azerbaijan | droughts |
![]() | Bahamas, The | hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage |
![]() | Bahrain | periodic droughts; dust storms |
![]() | Baker Island | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
![]() | Bangladesh | droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season |
![]() | Barbados | infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides |
![]() | Belarus | NA |
![]() | Belgium | flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes |
![]() | Belize | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) |
![]() | Benin | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March |
![]() | Bermuda | hurricanes (June to November) |
![]() | Bhutan | violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season |
![]() | Bolivia | flooding in the northeast (March-April) |
![]() | Bosnia and Herzegovina | destructive earthquakes |
![]() | Botswana | periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility |
![]() | Bouvet Island | NA |
![]() | Brazil | recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south |
![]() | British Indian Ocean Territory | NA |
![]() | British Virgin Islands | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) |
![]() | Brunei | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare |
![]() | Bulgaria | earthquakes, landslides |
![]() | Burkina Faso | recurring droughts |
![]() | Burma | destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts |
![]() | Burundi | flooding, landslides, drought |
![]() | Cambodia | monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts |
![]() | Cameroon | volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes |
![]() | Canada | continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains |
![]() | Cape Verde | prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active |
![]() | Cayman Islands | hurricanes (July to November) |
![]() | Central African Republic | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
![]() | Chad | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues |
![]() | Chile | severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis |
![]() | China | frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence |
![]() | Christmas Island | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
![]() | Clipperton Island | NA |
![]() | Cocos (Keeling) Islands | cyclone season is October to April |
![]() | Colombia | highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts |
![]() | Comoros | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano |
![]() | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes |
![]() | Congo, Republic of the | seasonal flooding |
![]() | Cook Islands | typhoons (November to March) |
![]() | Coral Sea Islands | occasional tropical cyclones |
![]() | Costa Rica | occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
![]() | Cote d'Ivoire | coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible |
![]() | Croatia | destructive earthquakes |
![]() | Cuba | the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common |
![]() | Cyprus | moderate earthquake activity; droughts |
![]() | Czech Republic | flooding |
![]() | Denmark | flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes |
![]() | Djibouti | earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods |
![]() | Dominica | flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months |
![]() | Dominican Republic | lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts |
![]() | Ecuador | frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts |
![]() | Egypt | periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms |
![]() | El Salvador | known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes |
![]() | Equatorial Guinea | violent windstorms, flash floods |
![]() | Eritrea | frequent droughts; locust swarms |
![]() | Estonia | sometimes flooding occurs in the spring |
![]() | Ethiopia | geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts |
![]() | European Union | flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic |
![]() | Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | strong winds persist throughout the year |
![]() | Faroe Islands | NA |
![]() | Fiji | cyclonic storms can occur from November to January |
![]() | Finland | NA |
![]() | France | metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones), flooding, volcanic activity (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) |
![]() | French Polynesia | occasional cyclonic storms in January |
![]() | French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are inactive volcanoes; Iles Eparses subject to periodic cyclones; Bassas da India is a maritime hazard since it is under water for a period of three hours prior to and following the high tide and surrounded by reefs |
![]() | Gabon | NA |
![]() | Gambia, The | drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years) |
![]() | Gaza Strip | droughts |
![]() | Georgia | earthquakes |
![]() | Germany | flooding |
![]() | Ghana | dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts |
![]() | Gibraltar | NA |
![]() | Greece | severe earthquakes |
![]() | Greenland | continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island |
![]() | Grenada | lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November |
![]() | Guam | frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December) |
![]() | Guatemala | numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms |
![]() | Guernsey | NA |
![]() | Guinea | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season |
![]() | Guinea-Bissau | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires |
![]() | Guyana | flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons |
![]() | Haiti | lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts |
![]() | Heard Island and McDonald Islands | Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island |
![]() | Holy See (Vatican City) | NA |
![]() | Honduras | frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast |
![]() | Hong Kong | occasional typhoons |
![]() | Howland Island | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
![]() | Iceland | earthquakes and volcanic activity |
![]() | India | droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes |
![]() | Indian Ocean | occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches |
![]() | Indonesia | occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires |
![]() | Iran | periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes |
![]() | Iraq | dust storms, sandstorms, floods |
![]() | Ireland | NA |
![]() | Isle of Man | NA |
![]() | Israel | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
![]() | Italy | regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice |
![]() | Jamaica | hurricanes (especially July to November) |
![]() | Jan Mayen | dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985 |
![]() | Japan | many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons |
![]() | Jarvis Island | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard |
![]() | Jersey | NA |
![]() | Johnston Atoll | NA |
![]() | Jordan | droughts; periodic earthquakes |
![]() | Kazakhstan | earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty |
![]() | Kenya | recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons |
![]() | Kingman Reef | wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of about 1 meter makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard |
![]() | Kiribati | typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level |
![]() | Korea, North | late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall |
![]() | Korea, South | occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest |
![]() | Kuwait | sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August |
![]() | Kyrgyzstan | NA |
![]() | Laos | floods, droughts |
![]() | Latvia | NA |
![]() | Lebanon | dust storms, sandstorms |
![]() | Lesotho | periodic droughts |
![]() | Liberia | dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March) |
![]() | Libya | hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms |
![]() | Liechtenstein | NA |
![]() | Lithuania | NA |
![]() | Luxembourg | NA |
![]() | Macau | typhoons |
![]() | Macedonia | high seismic risks |
![]() | Madagascar | periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation |
![]() | Malawi | NA |
![]() | Malaysia | flooding, landslides, forest fires |
![]() | Maldives | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise |
![]() | Mali | hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding |
![]() | Malta | NA |
![]() | Marshall Islands | infrequent typhoons |
![]() | Mauritania | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts |
![]() | Mauritius | cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards |
![]() | Mayotte | cyclones during rainy season |
![]() | Mexico | tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts |
![]() | Micronesia, Federated States of | typhoons (June to December) |
![]() | Midway Islands | NA |
![]() | Moldova | landslides (57 cases in 1998) |
![]() | Monaco | NA |
![]() | Mongolia | dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud," which is harsh winter conditions |
![]() | Montenegro | destructive earthquakes |
![]() | Montserrat | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995) |
![]() | Morocco | northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts |
![]() | Mozambique | severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces |
![]() | Namibia | prolonged periods of drought |
![]() | Nauru | periodic droughts |
![]() | Navassa Island | hurricanes |
![]() | Nepal | severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons |
![]() | Netherlands | flooding |
![]() | Netherlands Antilles | Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October |
![]() | New Caledonia | cyclones, most frequent from November to March |
![]() | New Zealand | earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity |
![]() | Nicaragua | destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes |
![]() | Niger | recurring droughts |
![]() | Nigeria | periodic droughts; flooding |
![]() | Niue | typhoons |
![]() | Norfolk Island | typhoons (especially May to July) |
![]() | Northern Mariana Islands | active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November) |
![]() | Norway | rockslides, avalanches |
![]() | Oman | summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts |
![]() | Pacific Ocean | surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December |
![]() | Pakistan | frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August) |
![]() | Palau | typhoons (June to December) |
![]() | Palmyra Atoll | NA |
![]() | Panama | occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area |
![]() | Papua New Guinea | active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis |
![]() | Paracel Islands | typhoons |
![]() | Paraguay | local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June) |
![]() | Peru | earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity |
![]() | Philippines | astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis |
![]() | Pitcairn Islands | typhoons (especially November to March) |
![]() | Poland | flooding |
![]() | Portugal | Azores subject to severe earthquakes |
![]() | Puerto Rico | periodic droughts; hurricanes |
![]() | Qatar | haze, dust storms, sandstorms common |
![]() | Romania | earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides |
![]() | Russia | permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia |
![]() | Rwanda | periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo |
![]() | Saint Helena | active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961 |
![]() | Saint Kitts and Nevis | hurricanes (July to October) |
![]() | Saint Lucia | hurricanes and volcanic activity |
![]() | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard |
![]() | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat |
![]() | Samoa | occasional typhoons; active volcanism |
![]() | San Marino | NA |
![]() | Sao Tome and Principe | NA |
![]() | Saudi Arabia | frequent sand and dust storms |
![]() | Senegal | lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts |
![]() | Serbia | destructive earthquakes |
![]() | Seychelles | lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible |
![]() | Sierra Leone | dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms |
![]() | Singapore | NA |
![]() | Slovakia | NA |
![]() | Slovenia | flooding and earthquakes |
![]() | Solomon Islands | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis |
![]() | Somalia | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season |
![]() | South Africa | prolonged droughts |
![]() | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism |
![]() | Southern Ocean | huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 m thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue |
![]() | Spain | periodic droughts |
![]() | Spratly Islands | typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard |
![]() | Sri Lanka | occasional cyclones and tornadoes |
![]() | Sudan | dust storms and periodic persistent droughts |
![]() | Suriname | NA |
![]() | Svalbard | ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic |
![]() | Swaziland | drought |
![]() | Sweden | ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic |
![]() | Switzerland | avalanches, landslides, flash floods |
![]() | Syria | dust storms, sandstorms |
![]() | Taiwan | earthquakes and typhoons |
![]() | Tajikistan | earthquakes and floods |
![]() | Tanzania | flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought |
![]() | Thailand | land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts |
![]() | Timor-Leste | floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones |
![]() | Togo | hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts |
![]() | Tokelau | lies in Pacific typhoon belt |
![]() | Tonga | cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou |
![]() | Trinidad and Tobago | outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms |
![]() | Tunisia | NA |
![]() | Turkey | severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van |
![]() | Turkmenistan | NA |
![]() | Turks and Caicos Islands | frequent hurricanes |
![]() | Tuvalu | severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level |
![]() | Uganda | NA |
![]() | Ukraine | NA |
![]() | United Arab Emirates | frequent sand and dust storms |
![]() | United Kingdom | winter windstorms; floods |
![]() | United States | tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development |
![]() | United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA |
![]() | Uruguay | seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts |
![]() | Uzbekistan | NA |
![]() | Vanuatu | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis |
![]() | Venezuela | subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts |
![]() | Vietnam | occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta |
![]() | Virgin Islands | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes |
![]() | Wake Island | occasional typhoons |
![]() | Wallis and Futuna | NA |
![]() | West Bank | droughts |
![]() | Western Sahara | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility |
![]() | World | large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions) |
![]() | Yemen | sandstorms and dust storms in summer |
![]() | Zambia | periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April) |
![]() | Zimbabwe | recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare |