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.

  • Intense dust storm hits Phoenix, Arizona

    A massive dust storm impacted travel on the Interstate 10 and 8 near Phoenix, Arizona on August 16, 2020, after the city broke its daily high-temperature record with 46.1 °C (115 °F). ​The storm approached the city around 17:30 LT, causing low visibility…

  • Asteroid 2020 PY2 to flyby Earth at 0.9 LD on August 20

    A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2020 PY2 is expected to fly past Earth at a distance of 0.90 LD / 0.00232 AU (347 067 km / 215 657 miles) on August 20, 2020. This is the 51st known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year….

  • First-ever fire tornado warning issued by the NWS, California

    A fire tornado produced by the Loyalton Fire in Northern California forced the National Weather Service to issue its first-ever fire tornado warning on Saturday, August 15, 2020. At least five tornado-strength/scale vortices are likely to have occurred within just 2…

  • 39 dead or missing after major landslide hits Nepal

    A major landslide hit the district of Sindhupalchok in Nepal early Friday morning (LT), August 14, 2020, leaving at least 39 people dead or missing. Sindhupalchok is about 130 km (81 miles) east of Kathmandu. The district is among the worst-hit areas in the massive…

  • The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report: August 5 – 11, 2020

    New activity/unrest was reported for 5 volcanoes from August 5 to 11, 2020. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 14. New activity/unrest: Manam, Papua New Guinea | Nishinoshima, Japan | Raung, Eastern Java (Indonesia) | Sinabung, Indonesia |…