Strong eruptive activity at Ibu volcano, Indonesia
Eruptive activity at Indonesia’s Ibu volcano continues with strong explosions from the cinder cone within the summit caldera.
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
Seismic activity and ground deformation surge at Kīlauea’s summit, Hawaii
Increased earthquake activity and signs of magma movement beneath Kīlauea’s summit, detected on January 31, 2024, have prompted the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to elevate the volcano’s alert level from ADVISORY/YELLOW to WATCH/ORANGE. With over 500 earthquakes recorded since midnight and ground deformation indicating pressurized magma chambers, the risk of an eruption remains high.
Red warnings for extreme wind gusts and avalanches issued as Storm Ingunn approaches Norway
A powerful Atlantic windstorm named Storm Ingunn by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute on January 31, 2024 is now moving over the Faroe Islands with wind gusts of up to 250 km/h (155 mph). While severe gales will affect northern Britain, in Norway, red warnings are in place for extreme wind gusts and avalanches
China issues warning for strongest winter weather since 2009 during Spring Festival travel
Amid the ongoing Spring Festival travel rush, China faces significant weather challenges with the National Meteorological Center issuing a blue alert for heavy snowfall in several provinces.
Record highs in Victoria follow coldest January 12 in 55 years, Canada
Victoria, the capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia, recorded its warmest January 29 ever with 15.3 °C (59.5 °F) at the Gonzales weather station, surpassing the previous record of 13.3 °C (55.9 °F) set in 1931. This record-breaking warmth follows closely on the heels of the coldest January 12 in 55 years.
Slow lava eruption continues at Great Sitkin volcano, Alaska
The Alaska Volcano Observatory reported a continuous slow eruption of lava in the summit crater of Great Sitkin Volcano as of 19:30 UTC on January 30, 2024. The Aviation Color Code remains at Orange and Alert Level at Watch.
S2 – Moderate solar radiation storm following M6.7 solar flare
Following the M6.7 solar flare from Active Region 3559 on January 29, 2024, enhanced proton levels were recorded, with the greater than 10 MeV reaching the S2 – Moderate threshold and greater than 100 MeV peaking at 0.67 pfu.
Record-breaking winds hit parts of northern Norway, causing widespread damage
A powerful storm brought hurricane-force winds to northern Norway on January 29, 2024, tearing down buildings and disrupting transport, while leaving thousands without power.
Strong atmospheric river to impact the US West Coast
Starting Tuesday night, January 30, 2024, an atmospheric river will affect southern Oregon and northern California, bringing widespread rain, heavy mountain snow, and strong winds, with impacts expanding to central California and continuing through February 2.
Very bright fireball over downtown Beijing, China
A very bright fireball was observed in the skies over downtown Beijing, China at 11:40 UTC (19:40 local time) on Monday, January 29, 2024, creating a spectacular sight for residents and visitors.
