The Watchers team and our contributors bring the latest on extreme weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, space weather, and all things science. We're all about making sense of the natural world and keeping you informed on what’s happening. Got a tip or a question? Hit us up using the form at newstips!
As of December 15, 2016, more than 86 000 people have been displaced and over 9 000 houses destroyed after strong and shallow M6.5 earthquake hit Sigli City, Aceh Province, Indonesia at 05:03 UTC on December 6, 2016. The death toll, as of today, is 103 with 96…
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Between December 7 and 13, new activity was reported for 5 volcanoes. Ongoing activity was reported for 10 volcanoes during the same period. New activity/unrest: Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Copahue, Central Chile-Argentina border | Ebeko, Paramushir…
Activity under the Bezymianny volcano began increasing on November 18, 2016, prompting KVERT to increase the Aviation Color Code from Yellow to Orange yesterday. Strong ash explosions up to 15 km (49 200 feet) could occur at any time. This volcano was considered…
A powerful tornado formed in Manapla, Negros Occidental, the Philippines on December 13, 2016, leaving 4 residents with minor injuries and 86 houses damaged. The tornado formed around 12:40 PHT and barreled through Barangay for 15 – 20 minutes, ripping off the roofs…
Weather stations in Sydney, Australia recorded the hottest December night in 159 years on December 13 and 14, 2016, breaking all weather bureau records for the city. The lowest temperature reached was 27.1 °C (80.8 °F) at Sydney Observatory Hill between…
A severe winter storm hit Israel late Monday, December 12 and continued into Tuesday, claiming the life of at least one person and injuring 18. The weather system continues to bring heavy rains, hail, lightning and flooding. Further strengthening is expected over…
A new research paper warns that although tornadoes in Europe cause injuries, fatalities, and damages, their threat is not widely recognized and is underestimated. To increase awareness of tornadoes and their threat to the continent, authors of the paper propose a…
An impressive fireball streaked across the sky in southern Spain at 21:25 UTC on December 11, 2016. The event was captured by Calar Alto Observatory (SMART project). Following the preliminary analysis carried out by the SMART's principal investigator José…
Newly discovered asteroid 2016 XW20 will flyby Earth on December 13, 2016, passing just 1.8 LD (691 200 km / 429 491 miles) from the surface of our planet at a relative velocity of 8.42 km/s. The closest approach is expected at 00:18 UTC. This asteroid was…
A large meteor exploded over the Norwegian Sea at 04:15 UTC on December 6, 2016. The event lit up the sky over Norway and was followed by several sonic booms. The fireball started at 81.4 km (50.6 miles) and ended at 24.4 km (15.2 miles), according to the latest…
