A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit south of Sand Point, Alaska at 22:28 UTC on July 20, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 47.3 km (29 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. The quake hit four days after powerful M7.3 struck the same region, triggering a Tsunami Warning.
Typhoon Wipha made landfall near Taishan, southern China at 09:50 UTC (17:50 local time) on July 20, 2025, producing wind gusts up to 167 km/h (104 mph), torrential rainfall, and widespread transport disruption across Hong Kong and Guangdong. Now a strong tropical storm, Wipha is forecast to re-emerge over the Gulf of Tonkin and make a second landfall in northern Vietnam late on July 22.
Torrential rains between July 16 and 20, 2025, caused widespread flooding and landslides across central and southern South Korea, killing at least 14 people, displacing thousands, and damaging key infrastructure. Some regions recorded nearly 800 mm (31.5 inches) of rain in less than five days, with hourly rainfall rates exceeding 115 mm (4.5 inches), prompting the highest-level landslide and flood alerts nationwide.
A dangerous and long-duration heat wave is forecast to affect large portions of the central and eastern United States from July 20 through August 1, 2025, beginning in the Southeast this weekend and expanding into the Mid-South, Mississippi Valley, and Midwest early next week. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has issued a high confidence outlook for extreme heat, with daily maximum heat index values exceeding 38°C (100°F) and limited overnight cooling.
More than 100 flood-related emergency calls were reported in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Saturday evening, July 19, 2025, after thunderstorms brought up to 127 mm (5 inches) of rain in less than two hours, prompting a Flash Flood Emergency from the National Weather Service.
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.4 hit near the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia at 06:49 UTC on July 20, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles). The quake was preceded by M5.0 at 06:02 and M6.7 at 06:28 UTC and followed by another M6.7 at 09:07 UTC.
Three firefighters were injured by a falling tree while battling the Butler Fire on July 18, 2025. The fire is part of the Orleans Complex, which has now grown to over 5 802 ha (14 342 acres) and stands at 2 % containment on July 19.
At least 14 people were injured near Camp Williams after flash floods struck Azusa and areas along the San Gabriel River in Los Angles County on July 18, 2025.
Flooding crushed an unoccupied camper in New Pekins, Indiana, as streams in the area rose rapidly following moderate rain through Thursday, July 17, 2025.
A video showing a journalist nearly being swept away by floodwaters during a live broadcast in southern Punjab, Pakistan on July 14, 2025, went viral on social media.
