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.

  • Heavy rainfall and flooding impact Northern Territory as ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle moves west

    ByRishav Kothari

    Heavy rainfall from ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle triggered flooding across parts of the Northern Territory, Australia, between March 21 and 23, 2026, inundating properties, disrupting infrastructure, and prompting evacuations. As of March 23, the system was moving west across the Kimberley and had a high chance of redeveloping into a tropical cyclone over waters off Western Australia by March 25, with further strengthening forecast. Severe weather was expected to continue across northern Kimberley through March 24.

  • Search continues after 71-year-old woman swept into Iao Stream on Maui, Hawaii

    ByRishav Kothari

    A 71-year-old woman was reported missing after being swept into the Iao Stream on Maui, Hawaii, at about 11:40 LT on March 21, 2026, while heavy rainfall kept the stream in rapid flow. Witnesses said she became fully submerged and was not seen again. Search operations continued on March 22 using ground, air, and ocean assets.

  • Strong and shallow M6.2 earthquake hits Tonga

    ByRishav Kothari

    A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit Tonga at 06:15 UTC on March 22, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.

  • Kona low triggers life-threatening flooding on Oʻahu’s North Shore, Hawaii

    ByRishav Kothari

    Life-threatening flash flooding struck Oʻahu’s North Shore, Hawaii, on March 20, 2026, after a slow-moving Kona low produced more than 330 mm (13 inches) of rain in parts of northern Oʻahu in about 12 hours from the evening of March 19 into the morning of March 20. Flooding in the Haleiwa and Waialua areas cut off road access, prompted evacuation orders, and triggered emergency response operations.

  • Las Vegas sets new March record as historic heat spreads across the U.S. Southwest

    ByRishav Kothari

    A historic March heat event affected the U.S. Southwest on March 19 and 20, 2026, setting a new March temperature record in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a new highest March temperature ever recorded in the United States near Martinez Lake, Arizona. Multiple daily and monthly records were also broken across parts of Nevada, California, and Arizona, while authorities in Phoenix closed some hiking trails because of heat risk.

  • Tropical Cyclone Narelle weakens after Queensland landfall, forecast to re-intensify over Gulf of Carpentaria

    ByRishav Kothari

    Tropical Cyclone Narelle made landfall over the Queensland coast at 07:00 AEST on March 20 (21:00 UTC on March 19), as a high-end Category 4 system after briefly reaching Category 5 intensity a day earlier. The cyclone crossed the coast approximately 75 km (47 miles) south of Lockhart River, weakened to Category 2 by the afternoon, and began moving offshore toward the Gulf of Carpentaria. Destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and coastal flooding were reported across affected areas.