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.
California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a statewide emergency on September 21, 2026, to accelerate preparations for potential flooding, landslides, coastal hazards and other winter impacts as a strengthening El Niño develops in the tropical Pacific. NOAA said there is a greater than 90% chance the event will become very strong during Northern Hemisphere autumn and winter 2026–27.
Rainfall on Oshima reached 600 mm (23.6 inches) in the 24 hours ending at 14:00 LT (05:00 UTC) on September 21, 2026, as Typhoon Dujuan passed the Izu Islands and approached eastern Japan. The record September rainfall prompted a Level 5 landslide special warning, while flooding, landslides and transport disruption affected parts of the Kanto region.
Tropical Depression Six formed southwest of the Azores on September 19, 2026, with initial maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h (35 mph). The NHC forecast the depression to reach tropical-storm intensity by 00:00 UTC on September 20 and strengthen further to 75 km/h (45 mph) by 00:00 UTC on September 21. The system would receive the name Fay if upgraded to a tropical storm.
A 19-year-old hiker died and multiple people were injured when lightning struck a small structure near the summit of Mount Timpanogos, Utah, on September 18, 2026.
A tornado touched down east of Fruit Heights, Utah, at approximately 13:52 LT (19:52 UTC) on September 18, 2026, as severe thunderstorms moved across Davis County and surrounding areas. Rain and damage was reported in the affected areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) had issued a tornado warning for portions of Davis, Weber and Morgan counties just eight minutes before the reported touchdown.
The Northern Hemisphere polar vortex is forming normally over the Arctic and was stronger than average by NASA’s wind diagnostic in mid-September 2026. The developing very strong El Niño could favor atmospheric wave patterns that weaken the vortex later in winter, with seasonal guidance showing a possible weakening during January and February 2027.
Flooding across northern and north-central Vietnam had inundated 16 310 homes by 17:30 LT (10:30 UTC) on September 17, 2026, while a landslide in Phu Tho Province killed three members of one family, according to Vietnam’s National Civil Defense Steering Committee. Several rivers remained above Warning Level 3 (BĐ3) into the evening, and the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) maintained a Level 2–3 (of 5) natural-disaster risk warning for flooding.
Another round of heavy showers and thunderstorms was forecast across parts of New Mexico, Utah and Colorado on September 17, 2026, prompting Flood Watches for areas vulnerable to rapid runoff and flash flooding. A moisture-rich disturbance was then expected to move northeast into South Dakota, where the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) forecast 51–102 mm (2–4 inches) of rain with locally higher totals.
Two adults and a juvenile drowned after being swept away by floodwaters near Newcomb, New Mexico, early on September 16, 2026. The deaths occurred amid a Navajo Nation-wide state of emergency for severe monsoon storms, flash flooding and storm-related damage to roads and infrastructure.
Prolonged drought has been affecting the Rio Grande basin for several years. A Satellite loop released on September 15, 2026, showed the declining water levels in the Elephant Butte Reservoir and the smaller Caballo Reservoir to its south over the last 15 years. NASA had earlier reported that the reservoir stood at 1.4% of capacity on July 27, its lowest level since 1971.
