Summer snow and 18 months of total darkness... what's the story?

Written By هشام جمال on 2025/07/12

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.

Arab Weather - Historians and climate scientists agree that 536 AD is considered "the worst year in recorded human history," due to the unprecedented catastrophic climate events that the world experienced during that year, significantly and persistently impacting human civilizations.

Simultaneous volcanic eruptions upset the balance of nature... 18 months of darkness

The disaster began with a massive volcanic eruption believed to have occurred in Iceland, coinciding with the eruptions of two other volcanoes in Indonesia and El Salvador, which released massive amounts of ash and sulfur into the atmosphere and created a global volcanic haze that blocked sunlight from reaching Earth, plunging the planet into near-permanent darkness for more than 18 months.

Winter in the heart of summer

The blocking of sunlight led to a significant drop in temperatures around the world, and snowfall was recorded in the middle of summer across large areas of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Historical records described the sun as "rayless" and "moonlike," reflecting the extent of the cosmic blackout humanity experienced at the time.

Agricultural collapse and widespread famine

The lack of sunlight negatively affected agricultural crops, ruining harvests and killing livestock. This led to a severe famine that spread across much of the globe. Prices rose catastrophically, drought spread, and food systems collapsed, beginning a period of severe economic and social decline.

The catastrophe forced millions of people to flee their homes, empires and kingdoms collapsed, and chaos, looting, and unrest spread globally. Historical sources indicate that some peoples completely disappeared during this era.

And God knows best.

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.


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