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.

  • Powerful cold wave brings record lows and snow to China

    ByRishav Kothari

    A powerful cold wave swept through northeastern China from Monday through Tuesday, November 25 to 26, 2024, bringing Heilongjiang’s heaviest snowstorm of the year. Hegang, a city in the province, received 53 mm (2.1 inches) of snow in just 24 hours, leading to a total accumulation of 37 cm (14.6 inches). Thousands of personnel and machines were mobilized to clear the snow and ensure public safety as temperatures dropped sharply.

  • Thanksgiving weekend Arctic blast in heartland, heavy lake-effect snow in Great Lakes

    ByRishav Kothari

    The 2024 Thanksgiving weekend will bring a significant Arctic blast to the U.S. heartland, with dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills extending across the northern Plains and upper Midwest. This Arctic outbreak is expected to deliver the coldest conditions since February, lasting through the holiday weekend across the Northern Plains-Midwest and into parts of the South and East. The threat of heavy lake-effect snows across the Great Lakes continues to increase as well.

  • Cyclone forming over Bay of Bengal floods parts of Sri Lanka

    ByRishav Kothari

    A deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal, located 170 km (105.6 miles) from Batticaloa and 240 km (149.1 miles) from Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, is expected to develop into a cyclonic storm by November 27, 2024, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds, and rough seas to affected regions.

  • Winter storms set to disrupt Thanksgiving travel across the U.S.

    ByRishav Kothari

    A wave of powerful winter storms is forecast to impact the United States during 2024 Thanksgiving week (November 25 – December 1), with significant disruptions expected across multiple regions. Heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, flash flooding in California, and hazardous driving conditions in the Rockies are just a few of the challenges holiday travelers may face. As the week progresses, the storm system will strengthen, bringing snow and rain to the Midwest and South, with the Northeast likely to experience a coastal storm by Friday, November 29, 2024.

  • Four dead across U.S. West Coast as atmospheric river brings record rains and 20 landslides in California

    ByRishav Kothari

    The strongest atmospheric river of the season, driven by a bomb cyclone with a central pressure of 945 hPa, ravaged the U.S. West Coast on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, bringing unprecedented rainfall, flooding, and wind damage. Northern California bore the brunt of the storm, with 543.4 mm (21.39 inches) of rain recorded in Sonoma County and widespread flooding that stranded hundreds. Meanwhile, fierce winds of up to 206 km/h (128 mph) toppled trees and left communities without power.

  • Two reported dead as Storm Bert hits UK

    ByRishav Kothari

    Storm Bert has wreaked havoc across the UK, leaving 60 000 homes in Northern Ireland without power on Saturday, November 23, 2024, disrupting flights, and causing severe flooding and snowstorms across multiple regions. Authorities have issued Amber and Yellow Warnings for snow, ice, and flooding across the UK as Bert continues to bring hazardous conditions, disrupting transport and threatening safety. Two people were reported dead, as of late Saturday afternoon (LT).