Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are forecast across parts of northern Texas into the lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys on April 28, 2026, with an Enhanced Risk issued for parts of the region. Very large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes are to be expected, while repeated storm activity may increase the risk of flash flooding.
Severe thunderstorms are forecast across the Mid-Mississippi Valley and Mid-South on April 27, 2026, with the Storm Prediction Center placing parts of Missouri and Illinois under a Moderate Risk (Level 4 of 5). Multiple strong tornadoes, including EF3+ intensity, are possible alongside damaging winds and large hail.
At least two people died in North Texas after EF2 and EF1 tornadoes struck Wise and Parker counties on April 25, 2026.
Scientists aboard the RV Polarstern discovered and surveyed a previously unmapped island in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, during a February 2026 expedition, confirming a rocky landmass about 130 m (426 ft) long that had previously appeared only as an undefined danger zone on nautical charts.
A study of more than 8 million people found that heat waves trigger immediate increases in cardiovascular events, while cold waves produce delayed effects over several days. The analysis, covering 2011 to 2020, recorded significant increases in cardiovascular deaths and major adverse events under both temperature extremes.
Blue auroras could be possible over Arctic regions in late April 2026 as seasonal solar geometry allows sunlight to illuminate the upper atmosphere while ground-level skies remain sufficiently dark. The phenomenon is linked to ionized nitrogen emissions that are typically too faint to detect but can be amplified under these conditions.
More than 3 000 residents were ordered to evacuate in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, by April 25, 2026, as two wildfires ignited on April 22 expanded across mountainous terrain and burned hundreds of hectares. Fire damage to structures has been confirmed as suppression efforts continue.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center placed parts of central and southeast Oklahoma under a Moderate Risk for severe thunderstorms on April 25, 2026, with large to very large hail, tornadoes, and damaging winds forecast across parts of the southern Plains and Ark-La-Tex. Hailstones over 7.6 cm (3 inches) and strong tornadoes are possible during the afternoon and evening, where discrete supercells develop.
A rare tornado event occurred in California after three tornadoes touched down in Fresno and Merced counties on April 21, 2026. This was the third time since 1955 that three or more tornadoes have touched down in the National Weather Service (NWS) Hanford Office’s jurisdiction.
Hundreds of wildfires continued burning across southern Georgia on April 22, 2026, prompting authorities to place 91 counties under a State of Emergency for at least 30 days. The fires have burned more than 14 160 ha (35 000 acres) this month, destroyed dozens of structures, and forced evacuations as drought conditions persist.
