A sudden and unexpected surge of cold Arctic air has engulfed several regions of South America, shattering numerous cold records in its wake. Although it is currently summer in the southern hemisphere, including parts of South America such as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and parts of Brazil, some areas have experienced a drastic and rapid shift in weather, going from a heat wave to frost in less than a week.
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS and EMSC as M6.4 hit the Turkey-Syria border region at 17:04 UTC on February 20, 2023, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). This is an aftershock of the devastating M7.8 earthquake on February 6 in which more than 47 000 people lost their lives and more than 120 000 were injured.
Two excavator operators lost their lives during a large rockfall at Christkindl in Steyr, Austria on February 8, 2023. The tragic incident occurred despite efforts to mitigate the hazard at the site. The rockfall is estimated to be around 3 000 m3 (105 944 feet3) in total.
Remote communities in North Queensland are facing weeks of isolation as a “massive” logistical operation is underway to deliver supplies after heavy rainfall over the weekend. Despite being cut-off, graziers and locals have welcomed the rain, describing it as a “good flood.”
Heavy flooding in northern Romania caused severe damage to roads and disrupted rail services in Bistrita and Maramures counties. The deluge left homes and farmland flooded and triggered landslides.
The Aquidabán River in Amambay Department, Paraguay, overflowed on February 16, 2023, leading to extensive flooding that has caused damage to roads and bridges, affected 700 indigenous families, and displaced many residents. The flooding has caused significant material damage, with many residents losing all their belongings, and has left multiple communities isolated due to the destruction of numerous bridges and roads.
Brazil’s southeastern coastal areas were hit with exceptionally heavy rainfall on February 18 and 19, 2023, causing floods and landslides that killed 40 people, injured 23 others, and displaced thousands more. The region experienced some of the country’s highest recorded rainfall totals for a 24-hour period, with Bertioga registering 694 mm (27.32 inches) and São Sebastião recording 649 mm (25.55 inches) during the same timeframe.
A massive winter storm is expected to impact much of the U.S. this week with a variety of hazards. The storm will spread a large swath of heavy snow from the West Coast to the Northeast from Monday, February 20 to Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Tropical Cyclone “Freddy” is forecast to make landfall over the east-central coast of Madagascar on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, as an intense and very dangerous tropical system. The cyclone will then move over the island nation, exit into the Mozambique Channel on Wednesday and then re-intensify before making landfall over Mozambique.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit the Tanimbar region, Indonesia at 09:37 UTC on February 17, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 38.6 km (24 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
