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.

  • Tropical Cyclone Tam triggers weather alerts across New Zealand’s North Island

    Tropical Cyclone Tam, named by the Fiji Meteorological Service on April 15, 2025, is moving southeast and will bring severe weather to New Zealand’s Upper North Island beginning April 16. The center of the storm is expected to remain west of Cape Reinga, but heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous coastal conditions are forecast to impact North Island in the days ahead.

  • Severe dust storm leaves over 2 700 people hospitalized in Iraq

    A severe dust storm swept through Iraq on April 14, 2025, hospitalizing over 2 700 people due to suffocation and respiratory issues, primarily in the southern provinces. The storm covered regions in a blood-red and orange haze, disrupted travel, and overwhelmed hospitals in Maysan, Basra, and Muthanna.

  • Turkey struck by severe agricultural frost, one of the worst in recent history

    Crops worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been reportedly damaged across Turkey as the worst agricultural frost event since 2014 struck the country during a three-day cold spell from April 10 to 12, 2025. Farmers across the country are trying desperate measures such as lighting fires around the crops to save them from the frost and avoid further losses.

  • Severe sandstorms move across northern China, breaking wind records at 499 stations and prompting rare public advisories

    Chinese authorities warned citizens weighing less than 50 kg (110 lb) to stay indoors as a large-scale low-pressure system moving in from Mongolia brought record-breaking winds exceeding 150 km/h (93 mph) to parts of northern China. Over 499 weather stations broke April wind records as the system moved southeast through the weekend, causing widespread damage and placing millions under severe weather alerts.

  • Strong M6.1 earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea

    A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 struck near the New Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea, at 03:47 UTC (13:47 local time) on April 12, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 62 km (38 miles). ESMC is reporting the same depth and magnitude.