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!
A massive flooding is affecting Russia's Tyumen region in Siberia since May 11, 2017, after a large discharge of water from the reservoir in Kazakhstan. Tyumen governor said the actual release was much higher than Kazakstan officials claim. A state of emergency…
During the afternoon hours of May 15, 2017, residents of Okinawa, Japan were surprised to see a funnel cloud looming just off the coast. The waterspout never touched ground and there are no reports of damage or injuries. The phenomenon was associated with a…
If you could travel back in time 41 000 years to the last ice age, your compass would point south instead of north. That’s because for a period of a few hundred years, the Earth’s magnetic field was reversed. Magnetic reversals have happened repeatedly…
According to new research by UCL and the Vesuvius Observatory in Naples, the Campi Flegrei volcano in southern Italy may be closer to an eruption than previously thought. An eruption today would affect the 360 000 people living across the caldera and Naples'…
An international team of scientists has developed a model that simulates the evolution of Stealth CMEs, solar storms that puzzled scientists for their lack of typical warning signs as they seem to come from nowhere. Such computer models can help researchers better…
The ability to identify fake news and other false information has never been more important. That makes critical thinking skills a must – yet according to new national study from edtech firm MindEdge Learning, millennials struggle in this area. The survey…
A lightning-caused West Mims Fire is still burning, more than a month after it started on April 6, 2017, approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) northeast of the Eddy Fire Tower in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. As of May 10, the fire has consumed 140…
New scientific reports suggest that ancient stone carvings confirm that a great comet struck the Earth over ten thousand years ago. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have studied the perplexing symbols carved on stone pillars at Gobekli Tepe in…
As the Earth continues its path on its elliptical orbit around the Sun, high latitudes and higher mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere are entering the midnight Sun season. If you go too far up north, the Sun never sets, but at a lower latitude, like southern…
What is described as the worst hailstorm in 30 years hit NE Thailand's Renoo Nakhon district of Nakhon Phanom province on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The storm brought heavy rain and ping-pong sized hail for several hours, forcing residents to run for cover….
