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.
At least 1 081 pilgrims were reported dead in ten countries, as of June 20, 2024, as temperatures rose to 51.8 °C (125 °F) causing more than 2 700 cases of extreme heat exhaustion in Saudi Arabia in just one day.
Tropical Storm “Alberto” made landfall near the Mexican city of Tampico, Tamaulipas, shortly after 09:00 UTC on June 20, 2024, with maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph). The storm brought heavy rains, causing widespread coastal flooding in Mexico, where at least 3 people lost their lives. In the United States, Alberto caused a significant storm surge in Texas and Louisiana even before making landfall in Mexico.
A strong eruption took place at the Indonesian Ibu volcano at 20:21 UTC on June 17, 2024 (03:21 LT, June 18), showering the upper edifice with bright lava bombs. The volcanic ash column reached a height of about 4.3 km (14 400 feet) above sea level.
A rapidly spreading wildfire near Ruidoso village, New Mexico spread over 8 429 ha (20 828 acres) of land since it started on June 17, 2024, destroying around 1 400 structures and forcing over 8 000 residents to evacuate without even being able to gather their belongings.
A damaging tornado swept through the village of Carlepont in the Oise department, France, on June 18, 2024, damaging 44 buildings and 2 powerlines. Forty firefighters and 15 engines were deployed to the scene to assess the damage.
Relentless heavy rains caused by low-pressure systems on Guatemala’s Pacific coast and in the Gulf of Mexico have resulted in floods and landslides across Central America, leaving at least 13 people dead since Saturday, June 15, 2024. The worst affected are Guatemala and El Salvador, where a state of emergency has been declared.
Extremely heavy rains have been battering southern China for the past week as the country entered its main flood season, resulting in deadly floods and landslides that have severely impacted the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. As of June 18, 2024, 5 people have been confirmed dead in Guangdong, and 17 are missing. In Fujian, at least 4 people have died and 2 remain missing.
Tonga Geological Services is reporting increased volcanic activity at Home Reef volcano, urging all mariners to stay away at least 4 km (2.4 miles) from the volcano.
On June 16, 2024, a catastrophic landslide in Baños, Ecuador, claimed the lives of at least eight people, leaving many more injured, and several missing. The disaster followed days of torrential rain that destabilized a hillside, causing it to collapse and bury parts of the city under tonnes of mud and debris.
California ranks as number one on the list of the most disaster-prone states in the U.S., according to the latest rankings by ClaimGuide.
