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.

  • Subtropical Storm Josephine forms off U.S. East Coast, forecast to become a hurricane-force extratropical cyclone

    ByRishav Kothari

    Subtropical Storm Josephine was accelerating northeastward away from the U.S. East Coast at 05:00 AST (09:00 UTC) on October 22, 2026, with maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h (65 mph). The National Hurricane Center forecast Josephine to lose its subtropical characteristics later October 22 or overnight into October 23 while strengthening through interaction with an approaching upper-level trough, becoming a hurricane-force extratropical cyclone within 24 hours.

  • France forecasts lowest grain-maize yield since 1991 after record heatwaves in summer 2026

    ByRishav Kothari

    France’s 2026 grain-maize yield is forecast to fall to 6.3 tonnes per hectare (2.81 short tons per acre), its lowest level since 1991, after repeated heatwaves and persistent drought damaged crops. Agreste estimates production, including seed maize, at 7.3 million tonnes (8 million short tons), nearly half the 2025 level, as grain-maize area fell 28% and yield declined 27%.

  • Super Typhoon Champi becomes the strongest tropical cyclone of 2026, Signal No. 2 remains over Batanes, Philippines

    ByRishav Kothari

    Super Typhoon Champi, locally named Rosal, became the strongest tropical cyclone of 2026 by maximum sustained wind speed when it reached 296 km/h (185 mph) on October 20, according to NASA’s MODIS program. The cyclone weakened on October 21 while moving toward waters east of the northern Philippines, where PAGASA maintained Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 over Batanes and warned of heavy rain and waves reaching 10 m (33 feet).

  • Nor’easter keeps N.C. 12 closed as coastal flood warnings continue in the Outer Banks, U.S.

    ByRishav Kothari

    Coastal Flood Warnings remain in effect for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on October 21 as a nor’easter continues offshore of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast. The National Weather Service forecasts 0.6–1.2 m (2–4 feet) of inundation in vulnerable shoreline areas, while N.C. Highway 12 remains closed between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe.

  • Flash-flood risk rises in Southern California, severe storms threaten Arizona

    ByRishav Kothari

    Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms are forecast across the U.S. Southwest from October 21 into October 23, 2026, as a deep Pacific low draws tropical moisture inland. The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) placed parts of Southern California and the Southwest under a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall for October 21, while the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) placed parts of central and eastern Arizona under a separate Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms.

  • Four deaths reported as DANA Adam flooding prompts more than 1 000 rescues in eastern Spain

    ByRishav Kothari

    DANA Adam brought torrential rain and severe flooding to eastern Spain from October 17 to 19, 2026, prompting restrictions across 145 municipalities in Valencia and Alicante. Emergency services carried out more than 1 000 rescues on October 19, while four deaths were reported during the wider storm episode and AEMET said Pego received 632 mm (24.9 inches) of rain in 36 hours.

  • Champi briefly reaches super typhoon strength after its closest approach to Guam causes widespread outages

    ByRishav Kothari

    Typhoon Champi passed about 16 km (10 miles) south of Merizo, Guam, at 04:26 ChST on October 18 (18:26 UTC on October 17) and was upgraded to a super typhoon about three hours later. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) post-analysis placed its 00:00 UTC intensity at 269 km/h (167 mph) before the cyclone weakened to 222 km/h (140 mph) by 12:00 UTC, while Guam authorities reported widespread power outages and disruptions to water services.

  • Visitors ordered to evacuate Hatteras Island as coastal storm threatens N.C. Highway 12, U.S.

    ByRishav Kothari

    Dare County ordered all visitors to evacuate Hatteras Island beginning at 20:00 EDT on October 16 (00:00 UTC on October 17) after declaring a state of emergency ahead of a developing coastal nor’easter. A Coastal Flood Warning is valid from 17:00 EDT (21:00 UTC) on October 17 to 08:00 EDT (12:00 UTC) on October 20, with 0.6–1.2 m (2–4 feet) of inundation above ground level and 2.4–4.3 m (8–14 feet) breaking surf forecast in vulnerable areas.

  • Four killed and two seriously injured during wildfire suppression in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Indonesia

    ByRishav Kothari

    Four people were killed and two others seriously injured during wildfire suppression efforts at Pusung Lingker in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, on October 15, 2026. Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry said three died at the scene and a fourth died after being taken to hospital. The cause remained under investigation, while Probolinggo Regency’s disaster-management agency reported that active fire was still visible at Pusung Lingker on October 16.

  • Very strong El Niño favors wetter South and warmer North in NOAA’s 2026–27 winter outlook, U.S.

    ByRishav Kothari

    A strengthening El Niño is shifting the odds toward wetter-than-average conditions across the southern United States and East Coast during winter 2026–27, according to NOAA. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) reported that the latest weekly Niño-3.4 sea-surface temperature anomaly had reached +2.4°C (+4.3°F), while warmer-than-average conditions are favored across much of the northern United States.