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!
Over 20 individuals have died and upwards of 12 000 families have been evacuated due to severe flooding in the Somali region of Ethiopia, the regional government reported on November 4, 2023, adding that flooding also caused significant destruction to infrastructure, hindering aid to those affected.
A large tornado struck the village of Lavovo, near Isperih in Bulgaria’s Razgrad Province on November 4, 2023, unroofing more than 100 homes and causing widespread infrastructure damage, including downed trees and electric poles. Accompanying storms inflicted further havoc across Central and South Bulgaria, with multiple regions experiencing power outages and flooding, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency.
Japan observed its hottest November day on record on November 3, 2023, with over 300 weather stations reporting record-breaking temperatures for this time of year.
Storm Ciarán — the 5th named and the most powerful storm of the 2023/24 European windstorm season — wreaked havoc across Western Europe on November 2, 2023, with record winds reaching 200 km/h (124 mph), leading to floods, blackouts, and major disruptions. Ciarán underwent explosive cyclogenesis, affecting Western Europe and culminating in numerous fatalities, record-breaking wind speeds, and extensive power outages.
Tropical Storm Pilar led to the death of two individuals and left one person missing in El Salvador on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. The storm unleashed torrential rains, strong winds, and caused widespread flooding, prompting a state of national emergency.
Extreme weather conditions wreaked havoc in northern Italy on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, causing the Seveso River in Milan to overflow and leading to a landslide that closed the Brenner motorway.
An exceptionally intense earthquake swarm lasting nearly two hours started at Þorbjörn in Iceland at 08:40 on October 31, 2023. The largest event registered an M3.7, and the activity signaled potential magma movement at depths between 1.5 km and 5 km (0.93 – 3.1 miles).
Elevated seismic activity has been observed at Mount St. Helens in the United States since 2008 when the last eruption ended. No significant changes have been observed in other monitoring parameters and there are no signs of an imminent eruption.
Activity at Klyuchevskoy volcano in Kamchatka, Russia increased significantly on October 31, 2023, prompting KVERT to raise the Aviation Color Code from Orange to Red. The ash column reached up to 9.8 km (32 152 feet) above sea level and extended for 365 km (226 miles) to the SSE of the volcano.
Seismic activity at Mount Anak Krakatau intensified on October 28, 2023, prompting Indonesian authorities to issue a 5 km (3.1 miles) exclusion zone around the main crater. The heightened activity included a range of earthquakes and internal vibrations indicative of potential eruptions.
