I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.

  • Piece of largest object ever jettisoned from ISS crashes into Florida home, U.S.

    ByTeo Blašković

    In March 2021, NASA ground controllers deployed the International Space Station’s (ISS) robotic arm to discard a cargo pallet (EP-9) containing obsolete nickel hydride batteries, following upgrades to lithium-ion units. This operation set a record for the heaviest item jettisoned from the ISS. While the entire pallet was expected to disintegrate before reaching Earth’s surface, a fragment of this hardware survived atmospheric re-entry and struck a residence in Naples, Florida, in March 2024.

  • Massive eruption at Ruang volcano forces mass evacuation, ash to 16.7 km (55 000 feet) a.s.l., Indonesia

    ByTeo Blašković

    A series of powerful eruptions took place at Ruang volcano in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province starting at 17:08 UTC on April 16, 2024 (01:08 LT, April 17). As a result, the Aviation Color Code was raised to Red, the Alert Level to 3 of 4, and local authorities started evacuating more than 800 people living on the island as a preventive measure. The last eruptive episode at this volcano was in September 2002 (VEI 4).

  • Severe floods leave 58 dead, thousands of households affected in Tanzania

    ByTeo Blašković

    Heavy rainfall affecting Tanzania since the beginning of April, caused severe floods and landslides which resulted in at least 58 fatalities and thousands of households affected. The coastal regions of the country have been particularly hard hit, with devastating impacts on both human lives and agriculture.

  • Enhanced Risk of Severe Weather (level 3/5) for portions of southern Iowa, northeastern Missouri, and far western Illinois

    ByTeo Blašković

    There is an Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, with threats for significant severe hail and tornado potential over southern Iowa into northern Missouri and west-central Illinois, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns. Additionally, elevated to critical fire weather is possible Tuesday due to gusty winds and dry conditions over parts of the southern High Plains and northeastern Montana.

  • Attacks on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant put the world “dangerously close to a nuclear accident”

    ByTeo Blašković

    The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, is at the center of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides accusing each other of reckless behavior that risks a major nuclear incident. This contentious issue was brought before the United Nations Security Council on Monday, April 15, 2024, where concerns were raised about the potential for a catastrophic nuclear accident.

  • Nearly 16 000 homes flooded in Russia, 111 200 evacuated in Kazakhstan

    ByTeo Blašković

    Catastrophic floods have submerged large areas of south-western Russia and north-western Kazakhstan since April 3, 2024. To date, floods have affected 15 641 homes and 27 993 garden plots in Russia, prompting widespread evacuations and the declaration of state emergencies in affected areas. Nearly 111 200 people were evacuated in Kazakhstan and approximately 5 500 homes were flooded.

  • Finland’s Kalajoki Valley hit by floods, evacuations amid ice dam collapses

    ByTeo Blašković

    Officials in Northern Ostrobothnia have issued flood warnings due to rising water levels in the Kalajoki River, impacting the municipalities of Ylivieska, Alavieska, and Kalajoki. Evacuations were conducted in Niemelänkylä, where three individuals were safely moved on Saturday night, 130 km (80 km) south of Oulu.