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!
Derna, a northeastern Libyan town, grappled with catastrophic flooding after Medicane “Marquesa” made landfall on September 10, 2023. The subsequent deluge, equivalent to several months of rain in just a day, resulted in extensive damage and a rising death toll, with thousands still missing.
Medicane “Marquesa”, also known as Storm Daniel, made a devastating landfall in Libya on September 10, 2023, resulting in severe flash flooding, especially in the country’s northeast. The storm brought with it extremely heavy rainfall, leading to catastrophic flooding and a tragic death toll of over 4 500 people, with thousands still missing.
Severe Weather Warning issued for Western Australia ahead of strong cold front on Wednesday
As the winter season of 2023/2024 approaches, meteorologists are closely monitoring a developing Polar Vortex in the stratosphere over the North Pole. Early indications suggest that its rapid intensification may influence weather patterns across parts of North America and Europe.
A very bright fireball was recorded over Andalusia, Spain at 21:40 UTC on September 8, 2023. The event lasted about 4 seconds before the object disintegrated.
On Friday, September 8, 2023, Bang Phra Beach in Sri Racha, Thailand became the epicenter of a mass marine mortality event. An immense number of dead fish washed ashore, believed to be the aftermath of a recent monsoon affecting the sea’s conditions.
A powerful storm dubbed Daniel dropped exceptionally high amounts of rain over parts of central Greece on September 4 and 5, 2023, resulting in widespread flooding, destruction, and the tragic loss of at least 10 lives. Experts label this as the country’s worst storm since records began in 1930. The worst affected was the Thessaly Region, particularly its Magnesia prefecture.
On September 2, 2023, a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched by our sun hit Comet Nishimura (C/2023 P1), causing a disconnection event and stripping its tail. This encounter occurred while the comet was located about halfway between the orbits of Mercury and Venus.
Severe flash floods struck several districts of Istanbul following heavy downpours on September 5, 2023, leaving at least 2 people dead and five others injured.
On September 3, 2023, torrential rain caused extensive flooding in the Black Sea region, particularly affecting the Turkish cities of Samsun and Giresun. Authorities had warned of the impending downpour, which led to significant disruptions and required emergency responses.
