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 12 people were killed and more than 77 000 affected after Tropical Cyclone Fytia struck northwestern Madagascar at 01:40 UTC on January 31, 2026. Winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) and intense rainfall caused severe damage across 35 districts, with Soalala and Mitsinjo among the hardest hit. Fytia is the 7th named storm of the 2025/26 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season.
Severe drought conditions are affecting over 2 million people across Kenya as of February 2026, following the failure of the short rain season between October and December 2025, which was the driest since 1981. Rainfall across most arid and semi-arid counties reached only 30%–60% of the long-term average, significantly worsening food and water insecurity.
Cuba saw historic low temperatures on February 3, 2026, with a weather station in the province of Matanzas recording a temperature of 0°C (32°F) for the first time on record.
A powerful Arctic blast is forecast to bring extreme cold and dangerous wind chills across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic from the weekend into the second week of February. Below-normal temperatures and record lows are expected in some areas, with the cold forecast to persist until February 11, 2026.
At least 30 people have died across Japan since January 20, 2026, due to record-breaking snow affecting much of the country, with Aomori seeing the heaviest accumulation in 40 years on February 1. The self-defense forces were deployed in Aomori City for the first time in 21 years due to the serious threat to life amid heavy snow.
Over 1 500 people have been evacuated from the town of Niscemi after the impact of Storm Harry triggered a major coastal landslide on January 25, 2026 that has left hundreds of homes on the verge of collapse.
A powerful nor’easter is forecast to impact the U.S. Southeast coast late on January 30, 2026, bringing heavy snow to the Carolinas and Virginia, with accumulations reaching up to 30 cm (12 inches), along with strong winds and coastal flooding persisting through February 2.
Up to 115 fatalities have been reported across more than 20 states in the U.S. after a historic winter storm swept through the eastern two-thirds of the country between January 24 and 26, 2026. The storm is now the deadliest since the 2021 Texas power crisis, when multiple storms claimed nearly 250 lives across the country, and has surpassed the death toll of the 2022 Buffalo Blizzard of the Century.
Multiple tornadoes hit Antalya Province, Turkey, late on January 26, 2026, causing major damage to coastal and inland districts. Hundreds of acres of fruit and vegetable crops across greenhouses in the province were damaged by the tornadoes, while much of the region reeled from the recent flooding.
Storm Chandra the United Kingdom and Ireland with major flooding, power outages, and travel disruptions on January 27 and 28, 2026. Hundreds of flood alerts were issued across the affected regions while local councils and emergency services carried out rescues in the southwest, where rainfall totals reached 45 mm (1.8 inches) in 24 hours with coastal gusts peaking near 110 km/h (70 mph).
