I’m a science journalist and researcher at The Watchers, contributing to the Epicenter edition, where I cover peer-reviewed scientific research and emerging discoveries across Earth and space sciences. With a background in astronomy and a passion for environmental science, I’ve worked in shark and coral conservation in Fiji, conducting reef and shark-behavior research, contributing to mangrove restoration, and earning PADI Open Water and Coral Reef Certifications. I bring a blend of scientific rigor and storytelling to illuminate the discoveries shaping our planet and beyond.
Powerful thunderstorms swept across France on May 10 and 11, 2025, causing widespread flooding, hail damage, and disruptions in the regions of Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. While no fatalities were reported, the storms caused significant property damage, agricultural losses, and transport disruptions across several departments.
Heavy rainfall from May 8 to 11, 2025, triggered flash floods in Shuilong Village, China’s Guangdong Province, damaging homes and crops and forcing evacuations. No casualties were reported, but over 3 221 people were preemptively evacuated across the province.
The Bryce Fire near Fort Thomas, Arizona, has burned 1 172 ha (2 896 acres) and remains 25% contained as of May 11, 2025. No structures have been reported damaged, but pre-evacuation notices have been issued for nearby residents.
A severe hailstorm struck Baoding, Hebei Province, on May 5, 2025, covering streets with hailstones up to 2 cm (0.8 inches) in diameter. The storm caused significant agricultural losses.
Two F1 tornadoes and a waterspout caused structural damage across Portugal’s Alentejo region and nearby districts between May 2 and 3, 2025. Emergency crews were deployed to clear debris and restore utility services.
Severe floods and landslides have killed at least 48 people and affected more than 182 000 across Ecuador since January 1, causing widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and agriculture in 23 of the country’s 24 provinces.
At least nine people died and 86 were injured in Iran due to severe storms in early May 2025, with significant damage reported in Karaj and Tehran.
Wildfires burned over 2 500 ha (6 200 acres) across North Dakota’s Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold reservations in early May 2025, threatening homes. Coordinated efforts by state, tribal, and federal agencies saved most structures, with only one abandoned trailer lost.
Scientists aboard the Alvin submersible witnessed an active volcanic eruption at the Tica hydrothermal vent on April 29, 2025, along the East Pacific Rise. The event, which buried a vibrant ecosystem under fresh lava, marks the first confirmed real-time observation of such an event on a mid-ocean ridge.
Historians have long debated whether climate change contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. New geological evidence from Iceland supports that link, showing that a sudden surge of Greenlandic iceberg transport during the Late Antique Little Ice Age coincided with a period of instability, famine, and migration across Europe. The ice age is thought to have been triggered by volcanic ash from three massive eruptions, which blocked out sunlight and lowered global temperatures.
