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!
Extremely heavy rain hit parts of Brazil on April 8, 2019, causing deadly floods across Rio de Janeiro. Parts of the region received more than 2 months' worth of April rain in just 9 hours. Rio de Janeiro officials said the city received 152 mm (5.98 inches) of…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 hit South Sandwich Islands region at 17:54 UTC on April 9, 2019. The agency is reporting a depth of 47.7 km (29.6 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.5 at a depth of 44 km (27.3 miles). The epicenter was…
At least 5 people were killed and 2 remain missing after a surprisingly strong storm hit capital Accra, Ghana late April 7, 2019. Heavy rain lasted less than 2 hours, leaving behind flooded roads and scores of stranded motorists. Running water spilled from chocked…
Scientists charged with predicting the Sun’s activity for the next 11-year solar cycle say that it’s likely to be weak, much like the current one – Solar Cycle 24. The current cycle is declining and predicted to reach solar minimum late in 2019 or 2020….
GNS scientists are monitoring a slow-slip event that started at the end of March 2019 near Gisborne, off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand. Slow-slip events are linked to an increase in localized earthquake activity. A similar sequence of earthquakes was…
Heavy rain and floods affecting Iran since March 19, 2019 caused massive damage to the country's agricultural sector, damaged 36% of the entire road network and left at least 62 people dead, as of April 4, 2019. According to information provided by official…
Severe storms have been affecting multiple governorates of Iraq since March 23, 2019. On April 3, two large tornadoes reportedly formed west of Mosul after a storm swept through the region. The storms were recorded in multiple governorates, including Anbar, Basra,…
New activity was reported for 2 volcanoes from March 27 to April 2, 2019. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 18 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Popocatepetl, Mexico | Tengger Caldera, Eastern Java (Indonesia). Ongoing activity: Agung, Bali…
"With full reservoirs and a dense snowpack, this year is practically a California water supply dream," California DWR Director Karla Nemeth said April 2, 2019, after latest Sierra snowpack measurement. California state officials made their monthly snowpack…
A new round of heavy rain has been affecting several regions of Peru over the past couple of days, causing floods and mudslides that resulted in fatalities and damage across the country. A state of emergency has been declared in the province of Chanchamayo, in the…
