A weak eruption was detected at Whakaari / White Island volcano in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, on the morning of March 12, 2026, prompting authorities to raise the Volcanic Alert Level from 2 to 3 and the Aviation Colour Code from Yellow to Orange. According to GeoNet monitoring data, ash was observed in a low-level plume above the main vent, with ashfall confined to the crater floor.
An atmospheric river made landfall in the Pacific Northwest during the morning of March 11, 2026, bringing heavy rain and snow across portions of Washington and Oregon. Forecasts show that the event will continue affecting the region through early March 14, producing significant precipitation totals, flooding concerns, and major winter weather impacts in mountainous terrain.
Winter Storm Warnings have been issued from the Rocky Mountains to the Upper Midwest and parts of the Northeast, with heavy snow, strong winds, and mixed precipitation forecast through March 14, 2026. Warnings will remain in effect from March 12 to 14 across much of Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Maine, with more than 90 cm (3 feet) of snow forecast in some areas.
A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck the Rubaya coltan mining area in North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on March 3–4, 2026, collapsing artisanal mining tunnels and killing more than 200 people just weeks after a similar disaster at the same site in late January.
A powerful Kona low is bringing a multi-day flood and severe weather threat to Hawaii on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, with the most dangerous conditions forecast for Friday into Saturday. The National Weather Service says the storm could produce flash flooding, damaging winds, and strong to severe thunderstorms across the island chain, while Governor Josh Green has issued two emergency proclamations tied to the event.
A 15.2 cm (6 inches) wide hailstone was measured in Kankakee, Illinois, on March 10, 2026, after an intense supercell produced a corridor of giant hail across parts of northern Illinois, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Chicago. The agency said the stone may be considered for a new Illinois state record, but its status remains unofficial pending verification.
At least five people were reported dead across Indiana after severe storms triggered flooding and a destructive tornado between March 8 and 10, 2026. Two people were killed in Lake Village, Newton County, when a tornado destroyed multiple homes on March 10, while three others died in separate flooding incidents.
A destructive tornado struck Kankakee County, Illinois, during severe storms on March 10, 2026, causing significant structural damage and leaving more than 7 000 customers without power. The tornado tracked through the southwest portion of Kankakee and crossed into northwestern Indiana near Lake Village, damaging homes and infrastructure.
Episode 43 of the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea began at about 09:17 LT on March 10, 2026, producing lava fountains exceeding 400 m (1 300 feet) from vents inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Tephra fallout forced the closure of part of Highway 11 and disrupted flights at Hilo International Airport as an ash plume rose to about 9 km (30 000 feet) above sea level.
Severe flooding affected parts of Northern Territory and Queensland, Australia during the first week of March 2026 after persistent monsoonal rainfall caused multiple rivers to exceed major flood levels. The Katherine River in Northern Territory peaked at 19.2 m (63 feet) before midnight on March 7, its highest level since 1998, while the Burnett River in Bundaberg, Queensland was forecast to reach about 7.6 m (25 feet) between March 10 and March 11, 2026. Evacuations, road closures, infrastructure disruptions, and widespread flood warnings were issued as rainfall totals exceeded 500 mm (20 inches) in parts of northern Australia.
