• Freezing temperatures claim lives of 27 children in Afghanistan

    27 children under the age of 5 have lost their lives in Afghanistan over the past couple of days after heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures hit Darzab district of the northern Jawzjan Province. The sad report came from district governor Rahmatullah Hashar on…

  • Strong M4.2 earthquake in the center of Katla caldera, Iceland

    Icelandic Met Office has detected a strong and shallow M4.2 earthquake in the center of Katla caldera on January 26, 2017. The quake was followed by M3.0 and a series of smaller earthquakes. In total, 28 earthquakes were registered under Katla since late Wednesday,…

  • Active volcanoes in the world: January 18 – 24, 2017

    New activity/unrest was reported for 3 volcanoes between January 18 and 24, 2017. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 11 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Bogoslof, Fox Islands (USA) | Ebeko, Paramushir Island (Russia) | Takawangha, Andreanof…

  • New eruptive activity at Italy’s Etna volcano

    Mild Strombolian activity accompanied by frequent small ash emissions is occurring at Etna's Southeast Crater (SEC) over the past couple of days, INGV reports. This new eruptive activity marks the return of magma to the surface after almost 8 months of eruptive…

  • Worst wildfires in Chile’s modern history

    As of January 26, 2017, forest fires burning across central and southern Chile over the last couple of weeks have consumed an area of 238 600 hectares (589 600 acres / 981 mi2 / 2 386 km2) and killed 6 people. Red Alert for forest fires is in effect in the regions…

  • The deadliest January for tornadoes since 1969

    Severe weather outbreak in the southeastern United States on Saturday and Sunday, January 21 and 22, produced destructive tornadoes which killed 19 people, 15 in southern Georgia and 4 in Mississippi. In total, this round of severe weather is responsible for 20…

  • Large sinkhole opens between two homes in Pennsylvania

    A massive sinkhole has opened between two homes in Glenside, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2017, prompting an evacuation of both homes. The hole opened on Brook Road, in Cheltenham Township, near the North Hills Country Club, and nearly swallowed a pickup truck….

  • Large earth fissure discovered in Arizona

    A new earth fissure, about 3.2 km (2 miles) long, was discovered 16 km (10 miles) SSW of Picacho Peak State Park of Arizona Trust Land in southern Pinal County, Arizona this month. The new fissure is oriented roughly north-south, and it parallels other fissures in…

  • Very strong explosion at Colima, ash up to 7 km (23 000 feet) a.s.l.

    A very strong explosion occurred at Mexican Colima volcano at 13:45 UTC on January 25, 2017. This is yet another strong explosion at the volcano, currently one of the most active in the world. The eruption was accompanied with pyroclastic flows on the NE flank. The…

  • New flank eruption at Erta Ale volcano, Ethiopia

    A fissure eruption at the SE flank of Ethiopia's most active volcano seems to be in progress approximately 7 km (4.3 miles) from the summit caldera and lava lake. "According to our local correspondents, the activity at the summit has decreased a lot, which…