ISS offers a unique perspective of Earth's weather

As the clocks change in the UK, marking the bi-annual alteration we know as Daylight Saving Time, many people start preparing for winter.

Although it's a completely artificial construct, never the less, it marks a point in the year, acting like an alarm, starting people preparing for the colder weather to come...

Meanwhile, the perspective of astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) offers a captivating and broader view of our planet...As we experience the colder, darker days of winter, their unique vantage point allows them to see Earth in its entirety—where it's not just winter, but all seasons at once, depending on the hemisphere. At the speed the ISS travels, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes, astronauts witness 16 sunrises and sunsets each day, giving them an unparalleled opportunity to observe different climate patterns and natural phenomena all across the globe in just a few hours.

It's fascinating to imagine how, while we deal with cold winds and icy pavements, other parts of the world bask in summer's warmth, facing the opposite challenges —heatwaves, droughts, or tropical storms. The images captured from space beautifully contrast these extremes, from icy polar landscapes to sun-soaked deserts, showcasing both the harshness and beauty of Earth's climates.

You can explore this intriguing contrast through the NASA Earth Observatory, where you’ll find stunning images that highlight the duality of hot and cold occurring simultaneously:. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

By the way, the image above shows Australia's Snowy Mountains (28.07.24) coated in white and yes, you can ski in Australia, but in our (UK) summer. It keeps us all here at ICEGRIPPER busy once our winter is long gone!

Have you experienced cold weather in different parts of the world? We'd be pleased to receive your stories. Leave your comments below, email us, or contact us through any of our social media sites, see the links in the footer.

Walk, work, run and play on winter ice and snow with ICEGRIPPER