I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

  • Taiwan logs record seismic activty with 42 quakes surpassing M5.5 in 2024

    ByRishav Kothari

    Taiwan has recorded 42 earthquakes exceeding magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale in 2024, marking the highest count since precision seismic monitoring began in 1991 with the implementation of the Taiwan Strong Motion Instrumentation Program. The surge in seismic activity has been largely attributed to the April 3 Hualien earthquake, a powerful magnitude 7.4 event that struck 15 km (9.3 miles) south of Hualien City, causing extensive damage, 18 fatalities, and over 1 100 injuries.

  • Strong explosion at Mount Dukono, Indonesia

    ByRishav Kothari

    A strong explosion took place at Indonesia’s Dukono volcano at 06:15 local time (LT) on December 7, 2024, producing a tall ash column up to 6 km (20 000 feet) above sea level (a.s.l.).

  • Lake-effect snow causes multi vehicle crash on I-90, closes interstate, Pennsylvania

    ByRishav Kothari

    A winter storm gripping the northeastern United States and Midwest caused chaos along the I-90 corridor in Pennsylvania, where lake-effect snow led to a multi-vehicle crash involving several semi-trucks on December 3, 2024. Conditions along the I-90 will be nearly impossible to travel today and meteorologists are urging to limit or cancel travel as blowing snow in Western Pennsylvania could reduce visibility to zero.

  • Daylight fireball over Kansas and Oklahoma

    ByRishav Kothari

    A daylight fireball was observed over Kansas and Oklahoma at around 13:15 CST (19:15 UTC) on December 2, 2024. The meteor fragmented into multiple pieces, with hues of orange, green, and blue reported. Witnesses noted its vivid visibility despite the broad daylight.

  • Double fireball event and aurora observed over Fairbanks, Alaska

    ByRishav Kothari

    Two fireballs were observed streaking across the sky over Fairbanks, Alaska, in the early hours of December 1, 2024, accompanied by a green aurora. The two fireball events occurred just two hours apart, creating a rare spectacle for early-morning skywatchers.

  • Atmospheric river forecast to make landfall over Washington and Oregon this weekend

    ByRishav Kothari

    An atmospheric river is forecast to bring significant precipitation to Washington and Oregon between Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7, 2024, with the Olympic Peninsula and North Cascades expecting up to 127 mm (5 inches) of rainfall and AR2 conditions likely in southern Washington and northern Oregon. While confidence is high regarding the occurrence of the event, uncertainties remain in its duration, intensity, and precise timing due to variability among GEFS ensemble model predictions.