I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
A G3 – Strong Geomagnetic Storm Watch is in effect for June 4 and 5, 2026, following three significant solar flares from Active Region 4455. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued the watch at 14:52 UTC on June 3 after Earth-directed CME components were identified from two eruptions earlier in the day.
An X1.0 solar flare erupted from Active Region 4455 at 11:28 UTC on June 3, 2026, producing R3 – Strong radio blackout conditions on the sunlit side of Earth. This is the third major flare from the same region today, following M9.3 at 01:36 UTC and M7.7 at 07:00 UTC.
A strong solar flare measuring M9.3 at its peak erupted from Active Region 4455 at 01:36 UTC on June 3, 2026, producing an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME). The event started at 01:22 UTC and ended at 01:43 UTC. At 07:00 UTC, another strong solar flare — M7.7 — erupted from the same region and produced another Earth-directed CME.
Kīlauea’s ongoing summit eruption reached its 48th lava-fountaining episode in Halemaʻumaʻu crater, Hawaii, at 04:40 HST (14:40 UTC) on June 1, 2026, setting a written-record benchmark for episodic lava fountaining during a single Kīlauea eruption, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). The episode ended abruptly at 13:37 HST (23:37 UTC) after just under 9 hours of continuous fountaining from the north vent, and the eruption was paused afterward.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Honolulu issued an Ashfall Advisory for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and areas to the north and northeast, including Volcano and Mountain View, after Kīlauea’s episode 48 lava fountaining began inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater on June 1, 2026.
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit offshore Valparaíso, Chile at 21:34 UTC (17:34 LT) on May 31, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 15.7 km (9.8 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 16 km (9.9 miles).
A meteor traveling about 120 700 km/h (75 000 mph) fragmented high above northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire at 18:06 UTC (14:06 EDT) on May 30, 2026, releasing energy equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT and producing a loud boom reported across New England, according to NASA.
New activity/unrest was reported for 4 volcanoes from May 21-27, 2026. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 18 volcanoes.
Portugal set a new national May temperature record on May 27, 2026, after Mora reached 40.3°C (104.5°F) during an early-season heatwave, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). The reading surpassed the previous May extreme of 40°C (104°F), recorded at Pinhão on May 30, 1953, and matched at Termas de Monfortinho on May 30 and 31, 2001.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot-fire test at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, at about 21:00 EDT on May 28, 2026 (01:00 UTC on May 29). Space Launch Delta 45 warned that debris from the New Glenn explosion could wash ashore along publicly accessible areas over the coming days and weeks, and said anyone who finds suspected debris should call 911 and avoid direct contact.
