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.
Multiple tornadoes touched down near the North Dakota–South Dakota border on the evening of August 21, 2025, including a large one near Hankinson in Richland County, North Dakota.
Tropical Storm Lingling formed and made landfall on August 21, 2025, near Hioki City in Kagoshima Prefecture. The storm produced peak gusts of 111 km/h (69 mph) in Kagoshima City and brought heavy rainfall that exceeded monthly averages in parts of southern Kyushu, prompting evacuation orders and landslide warnings.
A severe storm delivered 65 mm (2.56 inches) of rain in under one hour on Elba Island, Italy, on August 20, 2025, triggering flash floods in Portoferraio, where streets were submerged and transport was disrupted, while drainage systems overflowed across the island.
Hurricane Erin made its closest approach to the U.S. coast overnight on August 19–20, 2025, closing part of North Carolina Highway 12 and prompting evacuations in coastal counties. Over 70 rip current rescues were reported along North Carolina beaches as the system brought storm surge, coastal flooding, and overwash to the Outer Banks.
The first significant rainfall event in weeks is forecast for coastal British Columbia, Canada, with an atmospheric river expected to bring 20–40 mm (0.8–1.6 inches) to the Lower Mainland and over 50 mm (2 inches) to higher elevations from August 15 to 17, 2025. The rainfall is expected to bring some relief to the region following prolonged wildfire activity that has scorched over 7 000 000 ha (1.8 million acres) across Canada making it the country’s second-worst wildfire season on record.
Flash floods in Yuzhong County, Gansu Province, China, killed at least 10 people and left 33 missing after up to half of the county’s average annual rainfall fell between August 7 and 8, 2025. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged local authorities to carry out full-scale rescue operations.
Tropical Storm Ivo brought heavy rainfall and severe flooding to parts of western and southern Mexico on August 7, 2025, causing widespread damage in Nayarit and Veracruz and injuring two people in Durango.
Phoenix, Arizona, reached 47.8°C (118°F) on August 7, 2025, setting the highest August temperature since records began in 1895. Other locations across the region also saw record highs, with Blythe, California, reaching 48.9°C (120°F).
Heavy monsoon rains across southern China, including Guangdong and Hong Kong, have triggered flooding, landslides, and vector-borne disease outbreaks, with at least two deaths and over 7 000 chikungunya cases reported as of August 7, 2025.
A heavy rain emergency was issued for Kirishima City, Kagoshima as record rainfall lashed Kyushu, dropping nearly 500 mm (20 inches) of rain in just 12 hours on August 8, 2025. At least two people were hospitalized in Aira City after a landslide triggered by the heavy rain caused a house to collapse.
