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!
At least 36 people lost their lives to wildfires that engulfed Maui over the past couple of days. Fueled by the strong winds of distant Hurricane Dora, the fires have razed hundreds of structures in the historic town of Lahaina. A mass evacuation of people north of the town is in progress.
An intense earthquake swarm that began around the end of 2019 in the northeastern Noto Peninsula, Japan, has been tied to fluids released by ancient, or possibly unknown modern, magmatic activity. This finding, published in JGR Solid Earth, challenges previous assumptions that such seismic activity could not occur in areas devoid of volcanic activity for over 10 million years.
A major rock slope collapse occurred near the village of Bisisthal in Switzerland on July 30, 2023. The collapse, which occurred in the Gwalpeten area, consisted of two phases totaling 450 000 m3 (15.8 million ft3) of rock, in a location that had been under scrutiny due to known instability.
In a breakthrough study, Yale scientists Zhongtian Zhang and David Bercovici have proposed that the magnetism observed in certain meteorites may originate from asteroid collisions. Their research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that under specific conditions, these violent impacts could generate a magnetic field in metallic asteroids, with fragments bearing traces of this magnetism eventually falling to Earth.
In July 2023, Tampa, Florida experienced the warmest month ever recorded, with average high and low temperatures peaking at 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) above the norm. The lack of expected summer rainfall is a significant contributing factor to the record heat.
An analysis by the Asahi Shimbun, based on data from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), indicates that July 2023 was the hottest month in Japan since modern records began in the late 19th century. The previous record was set in 1978, making this the first time in 45 years that it has been surpassed.
The death toll in Telangana from extreme rainfall this week has climbed to 23, as 14 more bodies were recovered on Friday, July 28, 2023, from the floodwaters in Mulugu district. This district witnessed the heaviest 24-hour rainfall in India thus far during this year’s monsoon season, surpassing even the record-breaking downpour in Chityal of Bhupalapally district earlier this week.
Typhoon Doksuri, which struck the Philippines, Taiwan, and China from July 26 to 29, 2023, resulted in significant damage, displacements, and fatalities. The storm left 41 dead in the Philippines before lashing Taiwan and making landfall in mainland China, causing widespread evacuations, record-breaking rainfall, and severe economic losses.
A record rainfall of 616.5 mm (24.3 inches) in less than 24 hours hammered Chityal of Bhupalapally district in Telangana on July 26 and 27, 2023, with at least 50 locations across the state recording over 200 mm (7.87 inches) of rainfall. The torrential downpours disrupted normal life, leading to flooding in low-lying areas.
Indonesian Dempo volcano started erupting at 14:15 UTC on July 25, 2023. This is the first eruption at the volcano since the preheatic explosion on June 1, 2022. The volcano has a history of VEI 1 and 2 eruptions since 1817.
