• Strong and shallow M6.5 earthquake hit off the east coast of Honshu, Japan

    A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.5 hit off the east coast of Honshu, Japan at 00:14 UTC on September 23, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS is reporting M6.2 at a depth of 10 km. EMSC is reporting M6.3 at a…

  • Widespread flooding continues to ravage New South Wales, Australia

    Floodwater continues to ravage Australia's New South Wales and meteorologists warn more rain is on the way. Since the flooding started three weeks ago, there have been 81 flood rescues and 1 811 calls for assistance to the SES. Widespread overnight rainfall of…

  • Heavy rainfall floods drought-stricken Telangana

    Telangana, the youngest state in India, was hit by two consecutive years of extreme drought, with this year being the worst in living memory. Drought brought severe water crisis, with scarcity hitting not just its villages and towns but even the capital Hyderabad,…

  • Major fire event in Peruvian Amazon threatens natives and wildlife

    A major fire event is threatening natives and wildlife in the central Amazon region of Peru. According to the National Civil Defense Institute, the fire broke out on September 10 in an indigenous community called Pitsiquia, in the heart of Peruvian Amazon, and is…

  • Active volcanoes in the world: September 14 – 20, 2016

    New activity/unrest was reported for 5 volcanoes between September 14 and 20, 2016. During the same period, ongoing activity was observed at 9 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Bulusan, Luzon (Philippines) | Klyuchevskoy, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Piton de la…

  • Mercury contamination widespread across western North America

    An international research team has found that mercury contamination is widespread across western North America in the air, soil, lake sediments, plants, fish and wildlife. The team, led by researchers from the USGS, evaluated potential risks from mercury to the…

  • Deadly floods and landslides hit West Java overnight, Indonesia

    Massive floods and landslides caused by several days of heavy rain have claimed lives of at least 19 people in Indonesia's province of West Java on September 20, 2016. Nine people are still missing in its Garut and Sumedang districts, said National Disaster…

  • Strong and shallow M6.3 earthquake hits off the coast of Japan

    A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.3 hit Izu Islands region, Japan at 16:22 UTC on September 20, 2016 (01:22 JST on September 21). The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting Mw6.0 at a depth of 5 km (3.1 miles)….

  • Powerful storm rips through Shuswap, Canada

    A major and unexpected thunderstorm swept through Shuswap in British Columbia, Canada on September 17, 2016. The storm uprooted trees, knocked down power lines, blocked roads and damaged numerous homes. Some of the houses were completely destroyed. The storm arrived…