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!

  • Deep M6.0 earthquake hits off the coast of Palau Flores, Indonesia

    A very deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit near Nebe, Palau Flores, Indonesia at 19:39 UTC on August 23, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 528.2 km (328.2 miles). Geoscience Australia is reporting Mwp6.0 at a depth of 465 km (289 miles)….

  • Contact with STEREO-B solar observatory reestablished after 22 months

    After 22 months of failed communication attempts, NASA's Deep Space Network has finally reestablished communication with STEREO-B solar observatory. The STEREO Missions Operations team plans further recovery processes to assess observatory health, re-establish…

  • Caribbean region long overdue for a magnitude 8.0 earthquake

    The Trinidad-based Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of the University of the West Indies (UWI) has warned the Caribbean countries to be prepared for a major quake, the Jamaica Observer said in an article published today. The center recorded a total of 8 M4+ earthquakes…

  • India witnessing multiple severe flooding situations

    After another period of heavy rains over the past couple of days, India is again witnessing multiple flooding situations in various places. The worst affected states are currently Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. At least 35 deaths…

  • Mindulle hits Tokyo, leaves at least one dead and 29 injured

    ​Typhoon "Mindulle" made landfall near Tateyama on the Boso Peninsula in Chiba prefecture, Japan around 03:30 UTC (12:30 JST) on Monday, August 22, 2016. It had maximum sustained winds of 126 km/h (78.3 mph) and gusts as high as 180 km/h (112 mph) at the…

  • Shallow M5.9 earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan

    A shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M5.9 hit off the east coast of Honshu, Japan at 15:58 UTC on August 20, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS registered it as M6.0 at the same depth. According to the USGS, this is the sixth…

  • Massive monsoon gyre generates 3 tropical cyclones near Japan

    What meteorologists are calling a massive monsoon gyre has produced three named tropical storms in the Northwest Pacific Ocean on August 19, 2016, and all three of them are simultaneously threatening Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) named them Mindulle,…