• Lessons learned from the 2003 France heatwave

    In the summer of 2003, France was coping with worst heatwave since 1950s, when measurements began. The relentless heat killed more than 15 000 people, mostly elderly residents of Paris. Since the 2003 disaster, France has fully integrated disaster risk reduction…

  • Increased activity at Cerro Azul volcano – Galapagos, Ecuador

    In a special bulletin released March 20, 2017, Ecuador's Institute of Geophysics reports a significant increase in activity under Cerro Azul volcano which might be a precursor to a new eruptive episode. Since 1932, there were 11 reported eruptions of the Cerro…

  • Peru declares state of emergency in more than 800 cities

    Due to abnormally high rainfall and the worst flooding in two decades, Peru has declared a state of emergency across half of the country, in more than 800 cities. The rain, blamed on a local El Nino phenomenon, has so far delivered 10 times as much rainfall as…

  • Deadly Seiche waves smash Dayyer, Iran

    18 people were injured and 6 are still missing after a natural phenomenon called "Seiche" hit the Iranian port city of Dayyer, Bushehr province. The event left behind flooded homes and significant infrastructural damage. Governor Hamzeh E'temad said…

  • Record-breaking March heat across Nevada

    Las Vegas Valley, a major metropolitan area located in the southern part of the US state of Nevada, registered two consecutive days of record highs over the weekend and the first 90-degree °F (32.2 °C) day of the year as record-breaking March heat continues…

  • Namibia braces for worst flooding in living memory, over 70 dead

    Drought-stricken Namibia is bracing for the worst flooding in living memory as heavy rains descend on one of the sunniest countries in the world. Authorities warned that the magnitude of flooding expected in the northern central regions is likely to surpass that of…

  • Thousands evacuated as wildfire threatens Boulder, Colorado

    A wildfire broke out early Sunday morning, March 19, 2017, near Boulder, Colorado prompting officials to order the evacuation of thousands of people. The fire, named Sunshine Fire, was 50% contained by the end of the day. According to the Boulder County…

  • Strong and shallow M6.0 earthquake hits Solomon Islands

    A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit near the coast of Solomon Islands at 15:43 UTC on March 19, 2017 (02:43 local time, March 20). The agency is reporting a depth of 4.2 km (2.6 miles). Geoscience Australia is reporting M6.2 at a depth…

  • Impressive sandstorm sweeps through Saudi Arabia

    An impressive sandstorm swept through Saudi Arabia's northern city of Sakaka on Saturday, March 18, 2017, and was captured on video. On Sunday, an "advance alert" was issued following a sandstorm that hit the western city of Jeddah and other areas of…

  • Rare tornado rips through Đông Hà City, Vietnam

    A rare tornado swept through Vietnam's Đông Hà City on Saturday, March 18, 2017, blowing off roofs from several homes and buildings. The tornado ripped through the city for some 10 minutes, causing notable infrastructural damage but there were no…