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.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center warns of heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and freezing rain across the Northern Plains, Central Plains, and Upper Midwest, significantly impacting holiday travel through December 26, 2023.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit south of Africa at 17:36 UTC on December 22, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
New activity/unrest was reported for 7 volcanoes from December 13 – 19, 2023. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 19 volcanoes.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit Andreanof Islands, Alaska at 14:55 UTC on December 21, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 33 km (20.5 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
Denmark has officially experienced its wettest calendar year since record-keeping began in 1874.
A moderately strong solar flare measuring M4.2 erupted from Active Region 3519 at 05:38 UTC on December 21, 2023. The event started at 05:19 and ended at 05:49 UTC.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling a wildfire that spread across a mountain near Cape Town, endangering South Africa’s largest naval base and leading to the evacuation of nearby houses.
At approximately 17:40 PST on December 19, 2023, a brief EF-1 tornado touched down in north Oroville, California, uprooting trees and damaging buildings along its path.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit southern Peru at 12:11 UTC (07:11 LT) on December 20, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 93 km (58 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
The National Weather Service warns of a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall in southern California, with potential flash flooding and mudflows, as a series of storms approach the state.
