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.

  • Cross-country storm to bring heavy rain to the South and snow to the West and Great Lakes

    ByRishav Kothari

    An atmospheric river affecting California on February 11, 2026, is forecast to evolve into a cross-country storm moving across the southern U.S. through February 13–14, 2026. Widespread rainfall totals of 25 to 75 mm (1–3 inches), with locally higher amounts, are possible across Texas to Georgia. Heavy snow is ongoing in the Sierra Nevada, with additional accumulations expected in the Wasatch and central Rockies.

  • Wind chills to −57°C (−70°F) as Extreme Cold and Blizzard Warnings continue across Alaska

    ByRishav Kothari

    Extreme Cold Warnings and Blizzard Warnings remain in effect across northern and western Alaska on February 11, 2026, with the National Weather Service forecasting wind chills as low as −57°C (−70°F) along the Arctic Coast and Brooks Range and wind gusts up to 105 km/h (65 mph) on St. Lawrence Island. Air temperatures near −46°C (−50°F) combined with increasing winds are expected to intensify frostbite risk across the North Slope, while snowfall of 7–15 cm (3–6 inches) and visibility reductions to 400 m (0.25 miles) or less are forecast in parts of western Alaska through early February 12.

  • Major storm hits Hawaii with damaging winds and extreme rainfall, causing widespread power outages

    ByRishav Kothari

    A powerful storm system impacted Hawaii between February 8 and 10, 2026, producing heavy rainfall, flash flooding, landslides, and damaging winds. Wind gusts frequently exceeded 95 km/h (60 mph), with localized gusts approaching 115 km/h (70 mph), leading to road closures, including along Maui’s Hāna Highway, downed trees, and intermittent power outages affecting tens of thousands of customers on Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island.

  • One dead and child missing as Storm Leonardo floods southern Spain and Portugal

    ByRishav Kothari

    Flooding caused by Storm Leonardo left one person dead in Portugal and a child missing in southern Spain between Tuesday and early Thursday, February 3–5, 2026, as exceptional rainfall inundated towns across the Iberian Peninsula. Emergency services carried out evacuations and search operations as river levels rose rapidly.