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.
After wreaking havoc in Chennai with torrential rains, Tropical Cyclone “Michaung” made landfall in Andhra Pradesh’s Bapatla on December 5, 2023. The cyclone, the first to hit the state’s coast since 2021, has caused significant disruptions, including eight fatalities in Chennai. Authorities are conducting rescue operations amid continued heavy rainfall in the region.
Severe flash floods hit Simangalumpe Village near Lake Toba in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province on the evening of December 1, 2023, following heavy rainfall. The village is located in Baktiraja District, Humbang Hasundutan Regency.
A new study spearheaded by Yale astronomer Malena Rice and published in The Astronomical Journal has made a significant discovery about the orbital tilt of planets in pristine solar systems. Contrary to previous assumptions that slanted orbits result from cosmic disturbances, this research suggests that even in stable solar systems, planets can exhibit an orbital tilt of up to 20 degrees.
A high-level eruption started at Indonesia’s Marapi volcano at 08:00 UTC on December 3, 2023. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Red.
A deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm and was named Michaung at 03:00 UTC on December 3, 2023. This is the 6th named storm of the 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. An Orange cyclone alert is in effect for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts. Landfall is expected to take place on December 5.
A powerful earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.6 hit near the coast of Mindanao, Philippines at 14:37 UTC on December 2, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 32.8 km (20.4 miles).
Munich woke up to a record-breaking snowfall of 50 cm (1.6 feet) on December 2, 2023, marking the city’s heaviest snowfall in two decades. The German Weather Service had previously issued Level 2 and Level 3 weather warnings for heavy snowfall in southern Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg, leading to significant disruptions in air travel and ground transportation.
Intense thunderstorms hit southern Uruguay on December 1, 2023, causing severe flooding and travel disruptions in Montevideo.
Multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) produced on November 27 and 28, 2023, impacted Earth on December 1, sparking G3 – Strong geomagnetic storm. Similarly to the last G3 storm, on November 5, spectacular aurora sightings were reported from both hemispheres.
Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, once again showcased its might with a striking paroxysmal eruption on the evening of December 1, 2023. The eruption was characterized by spectacular lava fountains and intense volcanic activity, visible from great distances and capturing widespread attention.
