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!
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New activity/unrest was reported for 7 volcanoes between January 11 and 17, 2017. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 9 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Bogoslof, Fox Islands (USA) | Ebeko, Paramushir…
According to a consolidated analysis by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the year 2016 has been confirmed as the hottest year on record, surpassing the exceptionally high temperatures of 2015. The globally averaged temperature in 2016 was about 1.1°C…
A rapidly deepening low-pressure system (bomb low) produced powerful winds and dumped heavy rain on New Zealand on January 18 and 19, 2017, especially on South Island's West Coast where numerous landslides blocked traffic and isolated local communities. The bad…
Up to 30 people are missing after a massive avalanche buried Rigopiano hotel in the town of Farindola at the base of the Gran Sasso mountain range in Italy's Abruzzo region around 17:30 local time on Wednesday, January 18, 2017. Central Italy was under a severe…
Alaskan Bogoslof volcano erupted again at about 22:20 UTC on January 18, 2017, following an approximately 20-minute-long increase in seismic activity. The cloud it ejected is presumably more ash-rich than others in current eruptive sequence. Alaska Volcano…
A large swath of heavy rain swept across Southeast Texas during the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 18, 2017. The storm dumped dangerous amounts of rain on Houston and caused major flash floods across the city. Authorities issued multiple flood warnings…
After three moderate to large explosions over the past 10 days, Mexico's Colima volcano experienced another strong explosion at 06:27 UTC (00:27 CST) on January 18, 2017. The eruption spewed volcanic ash up to 4 km (13 123 feet) above the crater. Ashfall was…
A series of strong earthquakes are hitting central Italy since 09:25 UTC on January 18, 2017. Within the first two hours, EMSC registered 21 moderate to strong earthquakes; by 15:52 the agency registered a total of 102 earthquakes. This region is currently under…
95 false killer whales, large members of the dolphin family, have stranded along Hog Key in the Florida Everglades this weekend. Attempts were made to try and herd the animals back out into deeper water but 82 have died and 13 are unaccounted for. To date, it is the…
Volcanic activity at Indonesian Mount Sinabung remains high. Late Monday, January 16, 2017, the volcano spewed ash up to 5.5 km (18 000 feet) above sea level and produced a large pyroclastic flow, reminding everybody why tens of thousands nearby residents had to be…
