A recent study analyzing data from 1980 to 2020 found that atmospheric rivers (ARs), though infrequent, have accounted for up to 70% of extreme snowfall events in East Antarctica since the 1980s, significantly impacting the continent’s ice sheet mass balance.
Unseasonably warm, dry, and windy conditions spread across much of New Mexico and parts of Texas, Colorado, and Arizona on April 16, 2025, prompting Critical to Extremely Critical Fire Weather Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center (SPC). Fire danger is expected to remain elevated through the weekend.
Nearly 40 million people from Texas to Michigan are under threat of severe weather as an amplifying trough begins affecting the central United States on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The system is forecast to bring strong thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and damaging winds, with the associated cold front expected to dominate weather conditions through Saturday, April 19, from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes.
A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall hit the municipality of Dagua, Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia, on April 13, 2025, killing two people after burying their home. The incident took place along the Cali-Loboguerrero road, prompting the preventive evacuation of three nearby homes.
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.6 hit the southeast Indian Ridge at 01:42 UTC on April 16, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
Tropical Cyclone Tam, named by the Fiji Meteorological Service on April 15, 2025, is moving southeast and will bring severe weather to New Zealand’s Upper North Island beginning April 16. The center of the storm is expected to remain west of Cape Reinga, but heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous coastal conditions are forecast to impact North Island in the days ahead.
Severe flooding and landslides in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, between April 4 and 11, 2025, have resulted in at least 165 deaths, 28 injuries, and the displacement of more than 7 000 people. Over 60 000 residents face widespread infrastructure damage and loss of access to basic services.
Severe thunderstorms swept through West Virginia on Monday, April 14, 2025, bringing intense hail and causing widespread damage across the state. The cold front also triggered hail fog in parts of Ohio, leading to a car slide-off near Wheelsburg.
A severe dust storm swept through Iraq on April 14, 2025, hospitalizing over 2 700 people due to suffocation and respiratory issues, primarily in the southern provinces. The storm covered regions in a blood-red and orange haze, disrupted travel, and overwhelmed hospitals in Maysan, Basra, and Muthanna.
Researchers at the 10th Delphi Economic Forum on April 13, 2025, revealed that the use of advanced machine learning technology enabled them to detect over 50 000 earthquakes in Santorini, some of which occurred before the intense earthquake swarm in February 2025. This early detection enhanced earthquake forecasting and improved warning procedures during the crisis.
