The Northern Hemisphere noctilucent cloud (NLC) season has officially begun. The first cloud was detected by NASA's AIM spacecraft inside the Arctic Circle on May 17. The detection marks one of the earliest starts in the 14-year history of the spacecraft. …
A large column of red sprites and airglow put on a fantastic display over West Texas on May 13, 2020. The phenomenon was captured by Stephen Hummel of the McDonald Observatory. A line of storms more than 161 km (100 miles) away generated the astonishing display in…
A huge load of Saharan dust is moving across the Mediterranean Sea into SE Europe on May 14, 2020, with additional deposits expected in the coming days. According to Severe Weather Europe (SWE) meteorologists, the dust may also reach the UK and Ireland over the…
Sunny morning skies went dark by noon as massive dust storm enveloped Delhi, India, in a sudden change of weather on Sunday, May 10, 2020. The storm came after the city recorded the season's second hottest temperature — 40.9 °C (105.6 °F). "This…
Public interest for noctilucent clouds rose sharply in 2019 after record-setting outbreak across the northern hemisphere. The 2020 season is expected to start mid- to late-May or early June, but at the moment, it doesn't seem like 2020 will be a repeat of 2019….
A new study shows that natural hazards on Earth, specifically earthquakes and tsunamis, can create much more disturbances in the ionosphere than previously assumed. The researchers studied the catastrophic 2011 M9.0 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and found…
An analysis of satellite observations shows that ozone levels over the Arctic hit a record low for the month of March, NASA researchers reported on April 16, 2020. Ozone levels reached their lowest point on March 12 at 205 Dobson units. The depletion was caused by…
A huge ozone hole has opened this year over the Arctic. While ozone holes normally form in the Antarctic zone every year because winter temperatures drop to extremely low values, allowing high-altitude clouds to develop– the Arctic has more varying temperatures and…
A huge area of sustained ozone depletion has developed over the Arctic-Canadian region — too late for the winter season, too early for spring, and unusually strong for the northern hemisphere. The ozone layer is a natural layer of protective gas in the upper…
A massive sandstorm with winds up to 120 km/h (75 mph) hit the Canary Islands over the weekend and continued into Monday, February 24, 2020. The storm caused severe disruptions and exacerbated wildfires which forced about 2 000 residents to evacuate. The regional…
