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!
A strong and deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.6 hit Fiji region at 05:38 UTC on May 28, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 416.8 km (259.0 miles). Geoscience Australia is reporting Mwp6.9 at a depth of 448 km (278 miles). According to the USGS, the…
An enormous swarm of sprites was observed across the top of a thunderstorm during a severe weather outbreak in Oklahoma, US on May 23, 2016. The phenomenon was recorded by amateur astronomer Thomas Ashcraft, almost 640 km (400 miles) away, SpaceWeather.com reports,…
A tropical depression that formed over the South China Sea on May 26 is about to make landfall over the SE China's Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong. The system is bringing heavy rain and strong winds. According to Hong Kong Observatory, the depression had…
A strong and deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.4 hit Fiji region at 04:08 UTC on May 27, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 572.1 km (355.5 miles). Geoscience Australia is reporting Mwp6.3 at a depth of 604 km (375 miles). According to the USGS, the…
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New activity/unrest was observed at 3 volcanoes between May 18 and 24, 2016. During the same period, ongoing activity was observed at 19 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Etna, Sicily (Italy) | Santa Maria, Guatemala | Turrialba, Costa Rica. Ongoing activity: Aira,…
Another deadly landslide has hit Myanmar's jade-rich Hpakant region on May 23, 2016, leaving as many as 200 workers buried under tailings. 14 bodies were found under the rubble as of late May 24. The latest in a series of deadly disasters occurred around 20:15…
A 200-meter-long (650 feet) and 7-meter-wide (23 feet) sinkhole opened up along the Arno River in the center of Florence, Italy around 06:15 (local time) on May 25, 2016, swallowing 20 parked cars. Emergency services cordoned off the area and asked the residents to…
Severe thunderstorms hit portions of the Plains on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, producing about 26 tornadoes in five different states. More than 12 touched down in Kansas and several more in Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado. This round of severe weather will…
The Peruvian government has declared a 60-day state of emergency for 11 towns in Madre de Dios, a region in southeastern Peru’s Amazon Basin, after officials found alarmingly high levels of mercury. This highly toxic metal comes from illegal gold mines and…
The tropical Pacific Ocean has returned to a neutral El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) state, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology reports in their May 24 ENSO Wrap-Up. Equatorial sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the eastern Pacific have cooled in…
