Ten people have lost their lives in a series of storm and water-related incidents across Australia, spanning from Queensland to Victoria, as severe thunderstorms battered the east coast from December 24 – 26, 2023.
Storm Zoltan moved over Germany and neighboring countries on December 22, 2023, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rains. The storm left several people dead, caused extensive damage, and disrupted traffic across the region.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center warns of heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and freezing rain across the Northern Plains, Central Plains, and Upper Midwest, significantly impacting holiday travel through December 26, 2023.
Current forecasts indicate a strong Stratospheric Warming event in January 2024, potentially leading to a weakened Polar Vortex and a significant weather pattern shift across the United States and Europe.
NASA’s MERRA-2 climate model reveals that the Arctic stratosphere has reached a 40-year record low for December, creating a sudden appearance of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) far beyond their usual Arctic confines.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit south of Africa at 17:36 UTC on December 22, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
A strong eruption started at Marapi volcano, Sumatra, Indonesia at 05:19 UTC (12:19 local time) on December 22, 2023.
Southern California is under a dangerous flood threat with heavy rainfall impacting Los Angeles and San Diego areas, and moving eastward. Flood Watch is in effect for more than 20 million people from Southern California to central Arizona.
New activity/unrest was reported for 7 volcanoes from December 13 – 19, 2023. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 19 volcanoes.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit Andreanof Islands, Alaska at 14:55 UTC on December 21, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 33 km (20.5 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
