A massive power outage struck parts of the Balkan Peninsula on June 21, 2024, as temperatures soared to 40 °C (104°F). The blackout caused widespread disruption across Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, and Albania. Officials and media blame increased power consumption due to the sweltering heat for power grid failures.
Heavy rainfall and snowmelt caused catastrophic flooding in the French and Swiss Alps on June 11, 2024. In the French village of La Berarde, 97 people were stranded, and in Switzerland’s Zermatt, the Mattervispa river flooded the town center.
Torrential rainfall affecting southern China over the past 5 days caused historic flooding and landslides in Guangdong’s Pingyuan County, severely damaging infrastructure and farmland, and leaving at least 47 people dead.
New activity/unrest was reported for 7 volcanoes from June 12 to 18, 2024. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 13 volcanoes.
A large Saharan dust cloud engulfed parts of central Europe, most notably Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia, on Friday, June 21, 2024, significantly affecting air quality in the region. The intensity and relatively high number of Saharan dust intrusions in recent months have raised questions about the possibility that these events are related to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns.
A massive dust storm swept across New Mexico, U.S. on June 19, 2024, severely limiting visibility and causing a multicar pileup near Algodones, New Mexico.
At least 1 081 pilgrims were reported dead in ten countries, as of June 20, 2024, as temperatures rose to 51.8 °C (125 °F) causing more than 2 700 cases of extreme heat exhaustion in Saudi Arabia in just one day.
Tropical Storm “Alberto” made landfall near the Mexican city of Tampico, Tamaulipas, shortly after 09:00 UTC on June 20, 2024, with maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph). The storm brought heavy rains, causing widespread coastal flooding in Mexico, where at least 3 people lost their lives. In the United States, Alberto caused a significant storm surge in Texas and Louisiana even before making landfall in Mexico.
A strong eruption took place at the Indonesian Ibu volcano at 20:21 UTC on June 17, 2024 (03:21 LT, June 18), showering the upper edifice with bright lava bombs. The volcanic ash column reached a height of about 4.3 km (14 400 feet) above sea level.
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M4.9 hit northeastern Iran at 09:54 UTC on June 19, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
