Mount Ruapehu Crater Lake heating up, New Zealand
Mount Ruapehu Crater Lake is warming again, with temperatures rising to 16°C (61°F) by August 19, 2025. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 1, indicating minor volcanic unrest.
Heat burst (“Satan’s Storm”) forces beach evacuations on Spain’s Costa Tropical
A heat burst struck Spain’s Costa Tropical on August 17, 2025, prompting beach evacuations in Motril, Salobreña and Torrenueva Costa as the temperature spiked to 40.1°C (104°F) and wind gusts reached 87 km/h (54 mph), according to AEMET and local authorities.
Wildfires burn 600 000 ha (1.5 million acres) in Spain and Portugal, killing six and forcing mass evacuations
Wildfires burning since August 9, 2025, have scorched about 382 600 ha (945 000 acres) in Spain and at least 216 200 ha (534 000 acres) in Portugal, killing six people and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate.
Lava reaches lower southern slope of Etna, 2 km (1.2 miles) from Altamontana trail
New lava flow from Mount Etna’s summit is advancing along the southern flank, reaching an elevation of about 2 270 m (7 450 feet). The most advanced front is now located about 2 km (1.24 miles) from the Altamontana trail, a major access route used for monitoring and hiking, following effusion that began on August 9, 2025.
Unusually strong summer atmospheric river brings heavy rainfall to Washington
An unusually strong summer atmospheric river made landfall over the Pacific Northwest late on August 14, 2025, reaching AR 3 along the Washington coast and producing 75–200 mm (3–8 inches) of rain across parts of western Washington.
Sydney records highest six‑year rainfall total since 1858
Sydney has recorded more than 9 300 mm (366 inches) of rain since January 2020, marking the highest six‑year total since systematic measurements began in 1858.
Record-breaking rainfall leaves six dead or missing in Ordos, Inner Mongolia
Three people were confirmed dead and three more are missing after record-breaking rainfall triggered severe flooding in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, on August 19, 2025.
Extreme rainfall paralyzes Mumbai, leaving three dead and two missing
Extremely heavy rainfall between August 16–19, 2025, caused severe flooding in Mumbai, India, leaving at least three people dead and two missing. The event prompted mass evacuations, transport collapse, and the extraction of over 16 451 million liters (4.35 billion gallons) of floodwater from the city’s pumping network.
Dangerous rip currents expected along U.S. East Coast as Hurricane Erin grows in size
Tropical Storm Erin is forecast to grow substantially over the western Atlantic this week, producing dangerous surf, rip currents, and a possible storm surge of 0.6 to 1.2 m (2–4 feet) from Cape Lookout to Duck, North Carolina, as it approaches the U.S. East Coast, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Atlantic Canada.
Flooding triggered by intense rainfall leaves one dead in Caracas, Venezuela
Heavy rainfall on the night of August 17–18, 2025, caused flash flooding in Caracas, Venezuela, leaving one person dead on the old road to El Junquito.
