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 rain has been affecting most of the Republic of the Congo (also named Congo-Brazzaville) since the rainy season started in September, causing rivers overflow and triggering floods that have resulted in casualties and widespread damage. The worst affected…
An anomalous and historic December derecho, a windstorm associated with an unusually strong and fast-moving line of thunderstorms, swept from the U.S. Southwest to the Upper Midwest on December 15, 2021, traveling roughly 1 060 km (660 miles) in just over 10 hours….
Strong winds caused by a powerful storm moving through the Plains, produced a massive dust storm in eastern Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska on December 15, 2021. Strong wind gusts in excess of 160 km/h (100 mph) closed roads and knocked out power to more than 200 000…
Severe thunderstorms hit the province of Eastern Cape, South Africa over the past couple of days, claiming the lives of at least 6 people and damaging more than 1 000 homes. The latest areas to be hit by the storms include the municipalities of Amathole, Raymond…
Widespread flooding affecting South Sudan since May has continued to impact people and their livelihoods this month, with more than 835 000 people reported as affected by flooding in 33 of 78 counties, as of December 8, 2021. Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Niles remain…
A rapidly strengthening storm system will shift from the central Rockies to the upper Great Lakes today with widespread high winds, exceeding 110 km/h (70 mph) in some locations. Wind damage and power outages are likely with difficult to dangerous travel conditions….
In the first three months of the current water year (September 23 – December 10), precipitation in Iran has declined by 33%, making 2021 one of the driest years in the past 50 years. In addition, the country is 51% short of rain compared to the same period last…
Two annual records, for rainfall and snowfall, were already broken this month in Greece, the National Observatory of Athens announced. The annual rainfall reading at Theodoriana meteorological station, in the northwestern regional unit of Arta, reached 3 425 mm…
A powerful deep low-pressure area moving in from the Atlantic Ocean hit Ireland on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 7 and 8, 2021, bringing severe winds and heavy rain. At the height of the storm, more than 60 000 customers were without power. Storm Barra was named…
A very bright fireball was seen over central Europe at around 17:29 UTC on December 7, 2021. The event lasted up to 5 seconds before the object disintegrated in a series of flashes. The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 34 witness reports from users in…
