Very bright fireball over Albacete, Spain
A very bright fireball was recorded over Albacete, southeastern Spain at 00:57 UTC on August 8, 2023.
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.
At least 60 fatalities, 37 missing as severe floods continue affecting China
At least 60 people have lost their lives and 37 others remain missing in eastern China due to widespread floods caused by heavy rains over the past 10 days. The missing people include 51 in Beijing, 28 in Hebei, 15 in Jilin, and 3 in Fujian.
Over a million evacuate as Tropical Cyclone “Khanun” threatens South Korea post havoc in Okinawa
Tropical Cyclone “Khanun” formed on July 27, 2023, as the 7th named storm of the 2023 Pacific typhoon season. The system is already blamed for the death of 6 people in southern Japan and Taiwan. Kahun is expected to make landfall over the southern coast of South Korea around 00:00 UTC on August 10.
Major X1.5 solar flare erupts from Region 3386
A major solar flare measuring X1.5 erupted from the recently departed Active Region 3386 at 20:46 UTC on August 7, 2023. The event started at 20:30 and ended at 21:18 UTC.
Long-duration X1.6 solar flare erupts from Region 3386; S1 – Minor radiation storm
A major, long-duration solar flare measuring X1.6 erupted from Active Region 3386 (beta-delta) at 22:21 UTC on August 5, 2023. The event started at 21:45 and ended at 22:44 UTC.
Severe flooding kills at least 6 in Slovenia after one month’s worth of rain in 10 hours
At least three people have died in Slovenia due to severe flooding after more than a month’s worth of rain fell in just 10 hours on August 4, 2023. The catastrophic event caused evacuations, cut off roads, flooded buildings, and prompted the prime minister to describe the situation as ‘catastrophic.’ The floods could be the biggest since Slovenia’s independence in 1991.
Deep M6.2 earthquake hits Santiago del Estero, Argentina
A deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit Santiago del Estero, Argentina at 07:20 UTC on August 5, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 597 km (370 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
CME impacts Earth, producing G3 – Strong geomagnetic storming
A coronal mass ejection (CME) produced by filament eruption on August 2, 2023, combined with a smaller CME produced on August 1 and reached our planet at 02:53 UTC on August 5.
Large landslide hits Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath Yatra route, leaving at least 19 people missing
A large landslide triggered by heavy rainfall swept away several structures on the Kedarnath Yatra route in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district on August 4, 2023, leaving at least 3 people dead and 19 others missing.
Historic rainfall in Hebei displaces 1.2 million people — more than a year’s worth in a couple of days, China
The remnants of Typhoon “Doksuri” battered northern China from July 29 to August 1, 2023, unloading an entire year’s worth of rainfall and triggering devastating floods. The worst affected were Beijing and Hebei’s Zhuozhou where more than 1.2 million people were evacuated. At least 30 people have lost their lives and more than 30 remain missing.
