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!

  • Heavy snow buries homes, isolates hundreds of villages in eastern Turkey

    Heavy snowfall falling over eastern Turkey over the past 7 days isolated hundreds of villages and in some areas completely buried single-story homes. One of the worst affected areas is the district of Ovacık, one of the regions that receive the most snowfall in…

  • Heavy snow and rain devastate hundreds of Syrian refugee camps

    Heavy snow affecting parts of the Middle East over the past few days devastated hundreds of Syrian refugee camps along the Turkish border overnight Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Many tents were unable to withstand harsh weather and the weight of snowfall in Afrin and…

  • Gemini Observatory records volcanic gravity waves over Hawai’i, U.S.

    Hours after the massive eruption at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai1 volcano on January 15, 2022, cameras at the Gemini Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i, U.S. recorded red waves rippling over Hawai'i. "These are gravity waves, a type of atmospheric…

  • Deadly floods and landslides hit Antananarivo, Madagascar

    At least 10 people have lost their lives after heavy rains affecting Madagascar since January 17, 2022, caused deadly floods and landslides in Analamanga Region, including the capital Antananarivo (population 1.2 million). Twenty municipalities around the capital…

  • Elevated levels of sulfur dioxide across the SW Pacific and Australia

    Elevated levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) are present across the SW Pacific and Australia after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano on January 15, 2022. Since the eruption, the volcano has been releasing huge amounts of sulfur dioxide and…

  • Toronto under first blizzard warning since 1978, Canada

    A low-pressure system tracking south of the Great Lakes brought significant snowfall and blizzard conditions to parts of Ontario and Quebeck, Canada on Monday, January 17, 2022, forcing authorities to issue the first blizzard warning for the City of Toronto since…