Eastern Cape floods claim at least 10 lives, displace over 3 000, South Africa
Severe floods hit Eastern Cape, South Africa over the past couple of days, leaving at least 10 people dead and displacing more than 3 000, as of October 23, 2024.
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.
Strong and shallow M6.2 earthquake hits Kuril Islands, Russia
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit Kuril Islands, Russia at 14:38 UTC on October 23, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 48.6 km (30.2 miles). EMCS is reporting M6.2 at a depth of 40 km (24.8 miles).
Asteroid A11dc6D (2024 UQ) impacts Earth over eastern Pacific Ocean — 10th predicted Earth impactor on record
A small asteroid, currently designated A11dc6D, impacted Earth’s atmosphere over the eastern Pacific Ocean at 10:54 UTC on October 22, 2024. This marks the 10th recorded instance of an asteroid being detected prior to impacting Earth, and the third occurrence of such an event this year. The asteroid was later officially named 2024 UQ.
Lake Erie fireball leaves glowing trail over Ohio, U.S.
A bright fireball streaked across the twilight sky over Lake Erie at 23:00 UTC (19:00 LT) on October 21, 2024. The event lasted several seconds before the object fragmented and disintegrated, leaving a glowing vapor trail near Ashtabula, Ohio.
Increased geothermal activity observed at Iceland’s Geysir Geothermal Area
The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) is reporting increased geothermal activity in the Geysir Geothermal Area since Saturday, October 19, 2024. The reason for the changes observed remains unclear 3 days after the activity increased.
Severe coastal flooding expected as Hurricane “Oscar” approaches Turks and Caicos
Tropical Storm “Oscar” formed at 15:00 UTC on October 19, 2024, as the 15th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and intensified into a hurricane just 3 hours later. Oscar is expected to produce a dangerous storm surge on the Turks and Caicos Islands beginning this evening. Hurricane conditions are expected in portions of the southeastern Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and eastern Cuba during the next day or so.
The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report: October 9 – 15, 2024
New activity/unrest was reported for 3 volcanoes from October 9 – 15, 2024. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 17 volcanoes.
Spurr volcano alert raised after increased seismicity and ground deformation, Alaska
A gradual increase in volcanic unrest was observed at Spurr volcano in Alaska over the past couple of months, prompting the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) to increase the Volcano Alert Level to Advisory and the Aviation Color Code to Yellow on October 16, 2024. Spurr is located about 120 km (75 miles) west of Anchorage.
Deep M5.9 earthquake hits Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
A deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.9 hit the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at 18:56 UTC (23:26 LT) on October 16, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 203 km (126 miles).
European farmers threaten to paralyze the continent in November over unresolved grievances
The farmers’ movement roared back to life in Toulouse on October 16, 2024, with protests calling for government support on fuel subsidies, livestock diseases, and market stability. Jérôme Bayle, a prominent leader of the protest movement in southwestern France, warned that if their demands remain unmet, farmers across Europe could ‘paralyze’ the continent in November, potentially disrupting trade routes and causing widespread economic impact.
