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.
Heavy rains and a subsequent dam burst led to a devastating landslide in Yaounde, Cameroon, on October 8, 2023. At least 30 people were killed in the disaster that occurred in the impoverished Mbankolo district.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 TV3 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.2 LD / 0.00056 AU (83 034 km / 51 595 miles) at 12:54 UTC on October 12, 2023.
Japan’s Izu Islands and parts of the Pacific Coast near Tokyo experienced tsunami waves up to 60 cm (2 feet) in height triggered by a shallow M5.0 earthquake that occurred at 20:26 UTC on October 8, 2023 (05:26 local time, October 9). The quake’s epicenter was situated near the uninhabited Torishima Island at the southern end of the Izu chain and is part of an ongoing earthquake swarm in the region.
Two strong earthquakes registered by the USGS as M6.7 hit the eastern New Guinea region of Papua New Guinea on October 7, 2023. The first quake struck at 08:34 UTC at a depth of 54 km (33 miles) and the second at 08:40 UTC at a depth of 74 km (46 miles). EMSC is reporting two M6.7 earthquakes at depths of 67 km (42 miles) and 57 km (35 miles).
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit western Afghanistan at 06:41 UTC (10:11 local time) on October 7, 2023. The quake was followed by M5.5 at 06:49 UTC, M4.7 at 07:10 UTC, M6.3 at 07:12 UTC, and M5.9 at 07:40 UTC — all at shallow depths between 7.7 and 14 km (4.8 – 8.7 miles).
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 SH7 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.14 LD / 0.00036 AU (53 748 km / 33 397 miles) from the center of our planet at 16:50 UTC on September 25, 2023.
The Italian government is exploring the potential evacuation of tens of thousands of residents living near the Campi Flegrei supervolcano, 20 km (12.5 miles) from Naples, following over 1 100 earthquakes in the area within a month. The announcement was made on Thursday, October 5, 2023, and further measures are set to be discussed in a cabinet meeting.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.3 hit Izu Islands, Japan at 01:31 UTC on October 6, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS and EMSC are reporting M6.1 at a depth of 10 km.
Tenerife authorities called a high-level emergency on Thursday, October 5, 2023, evacuating roughly 3 000 people from Santa Ursula and La Orotava, as firefighters tackled a wildfire, initially ignited on Wednesday and worsened by strong winds and high temperatures.
New activity/unrest was reported for 1 volcano from September 27 to October 3, 2023. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 21 volcanoes.
