• Shiveluch erupts sending ash up to 5 km into the air, Russia

    Shiveluch volcano in the east of Russia erupted on December 21, 2015, raising ash columns up to 5 km (16 404 feet) above the sea level, the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) reported. Orange alert level remained in effect. Hot avalanches from the…

  • Landslide in Visakhapatnam kills 4 people, India

    A landslide at Sanjeevayyangar in Thatichetalpalem area, Visakhapatnam, India killed four people and left numerous injured on December 20, 2015. A large boulder fell from a small hill nearby in the early morning hours (local time) and left 3 people buried alive…

  • Severe heatwave conditions spark fires across southern Australia

    Severe to extreme heat conditions have wrapped southern Australia as a hot air mass settled across the region since December 17, 2015. A number of fires have wreaked havoc across the affected areas and firefighters struggle to contain them. Extremely hot conditions…

  • Over 40 deaths across the Philippines as flood threats rise again

    The Philippines archipelago suffered another hit of severe weather, as heavy rainfalls battered the area on December 19, 2015. The government declared a state of national calamity, following a rising threat of aggravating floods across the region previously affected…

  • Shallow M6.2 earthquake hits Vanuatu

    A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit Vanuatu at 02:10 UTC on December 19, 2015. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). According to the USGS, the epicenter was located 128km (80mi) N of Isangel and 135km (84mi) ESE of Port-Vila,…

  • M6.4 earthquake hits Chiapas, Mexico

    A strong earthquake with recorded magnitude of M6.4 (USGS) hit Chiapas, Mexico at 19:49 UTC on December 17, 2015. The agency is reporting a depth of 96.9 km (60.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.4 at a depth of 120 km (74.5 miles). According to the USGS, the epicenter…

  • Nacreous clouds appear around the Arctic Circle

    Sky watchers are observing an outbreak of polar stratospheric clouds or PSCs around the Arctic Circle, SpaceWeather reports. Unlike normal grey-white clouds, which hug Earth's surface at altitudes of only 5 to 10 km (3.1 – 6.2 miles), PSCs float through the…