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!
In the last four days, dust storms in the provincial cities of Zabul, Zehek, Hamun, Hirmend, and Nimruz in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province have led to 764 people being referred to hospitals and medical centers, as announced by Majid Mohibbi, Director General of Sistan-Baluchestan Crisis Management.
On June 27, 2023, parts of South Australia’s outback experienced their coldest June day on record, as an unusually thick northwest cloudband brought heavy rain and low temperatures across the state.
In an unusual meteorological event, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported that this year’s monsoon has covered 80% of the country. The southwest monsoon, which typically follows a set path across the country, has shown an atypical pattern this year, covering most parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, and Haryana, and advancing to Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab.
The Iberian Peninsula is experiencing one of the most notable wildfire smoke events in its modern history with Aerosol Index (AI) values on June 27, 2023, exceeding 4 in some locations (AOD values >1).
A bright fireball exploded over the Manawatū region in New Zealand’s North Island around 18:50 UTC on June 27, 2023 (06:50 NZST, June 28), producing a massive sonic boom.
A very bright meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere and exploded over southern Germany at 20:45 UTC on June 26, 2023. The event lasted a couple of seconds before the object disintegrated in a bright flash of light.
A brief period of heavy rain on June 25, 2023, triggered severe flooding in Arad County, western Romania, resulting in significant damage, including flooded homes, swept-away vehicles, and blocked roads. The disaster led to the loss of at least one life.
Heavy rainfall led to severe flooding across southern Ghana, particularly in the Western, Ashanti, and Greater Accra Regions, from June 21, 2023, resulting in widespread damage and at least 8 fatalities.
A team of researchers from the Departments of Geosciences, Atmospheric Sciences, and Statistics at Innsbruck has reported a doubling in the number of detected lightning strikes in the high altitudes of the European Eastern Alps over the last 40 years.
The Alert Level for Kuchinoerabujima volcano was raised on June 26, 2023, following an uptick in volcanic earthquakes, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s Fukuoka Regional Headquarters.
