Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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.
A bright fireball was observed over the Houston, Texas area at 21:40 UTC on March 21, 2026, producing sonic booms as it broke apart in the atmosphere. NASA said the event was detected by Geostationary Lightning Mappers aboard GOES satellites, while local officials reported that a possible meteorite fragment struck a house in north Houston.
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.
Storm damage in Hawaii could exceed USD 1 billion as severe flooding from a Kona low affects Oʻahu on March 20–21, 2026, forcing about 5 500 residents to evacuate and triggering emergency warnings over the imminent risk of failure at Wahiawā Dam.
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.
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.
Multiple Red Flag Warnings are in effect across parts of the High Plains through March 21, 2026, as very low humidity, gusty winds, and anomalously warm temperatures support critical fire weather conditions. The National Weather Service warns that any fires that develop could spread rapidly and erratically.
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.
Over USD 3 billion worth of crop losses were reported across Florida due to freeze conditions triggered by winter storms Ezra and Gianna, between December 30, 2025 and February 4, 2026. The freeze affected 66 of the state’s 67 counties and impacted multiple agricultural sectors during peak production periods
Storm Therese began affecting the Canary Islands, Spain, on March 19, 2026, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, rough seas, and snowfall at high elevations. The severe weather is forecast to persist until at least March 2, with rainfall totals of over 300 mm (12 inches) being forecast in parts of La Palma and Tenerife, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. Meanwhile, wind gusts above 90 km/h (56 mph) and waves over 5 m (16 feet) are expected.
