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.
The seismovolcanic crisis at the Manadas volcanic fissure system in the NW part of São Jorge Island, Azores has entered its third month. A notable change in seismicity was reported on April 6, when volcano-tectonic earthquakes were detected, suggesting the movement of magma at depth. The last confirmed eruption of this volcano took place in 1808 (VEI 1).
A damaging tornado hit the town of Levin, New Zealand’s North Island on May 20, 2022, causing widespread damage and injuring several people. New Zealand’s Met Service recorded a wind gust of 140 km/h (86 mph) in the town but at the time of press, it was still not able to determine whether it was indeed a tornado that caused the damage, or a thunderstorm collapsing on itself.
Drastically colder air will surge across the western U.S., culminating with a late-season wintry weather event over the central Rockies/High Plains late Friday into Saturday, May 20 into 21, 2022.
Severe thunderstorms are expected over portions of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley today, May 19, 2022, and over Midwest and Southern Plains on Friday, May 20.
Explosive eruption at Russia’s Karymsky volcano continued on May 19, 2022, with two ash columns reaching a height of 8 km (26 250 feet) and 6.7 km (21 980 feet) above sea level. The Aviation Color Code remains Orange.
A large plume of Saharan dust emerged off the coast of western Africa this week and has now reached the Caribbean Sea and South America. This is the season’s first large plume of Saharan dust to cross the Atlantic.
A rare out-of-season tropical cyclone formed near Vanuatu, South Pacific Ocean on May 18, 2022, and was named Gina. It is the 6th named storm of the 2021/22 South Pacific cyclone season. The season officially started on November 1, 2021, and ended on April 30, 2022.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.9 hit the Macquarie Island region at 10:13 UTC on May 19, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.9 at a depth of 15 km (9 miles).
New activity/unrest was reported for 4 volcanoes from May 11 – 17, 2022. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 23 volcanoes.
The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the 9% rise in the consumer price index is the highest since records began in 1989, surpassing the 8.4% annual rise in March 1992. The office estimates that inflation would have been higher sometime around 1982.
