• Hundreds of drivers stranded on Interstate-95 after major snowstorm hits U.S.

    A major snowstorm stranded hundreds of drivers along a 65 km (40 miles) stretch of Interstate 95 in Virginia on Monday and Tuesday, January 3 and 4, 2022. The gridlock was cleared on Tuesday evening when both northbound and southbound lanes were opened. VDOT said…

  • Deep M6.0 earthquake hits Banda Sea, Indonesia

    A deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit Banda Sea, Indonesia at 20:55 UTC on January 4, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 556.2 km (345 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. The epicenter was located about 282 km (175 miles) E…

  • Extremely heavy rains cause deadly floods in Oman and Iran

    Several days of heavy rains have caused severe floods across Oman and Iran in which more than 10 people lost their lives. Heavy rains have also affected United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. According to Oman's Civil Defence…

  • Shallow M6.1 earthquake hits northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge

    A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 03:18 UTC on January 4, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at the same depth. The epicenter was located about 580 km…

  • Rare hailstorm hits all-year-round resort in Egypt

    A popular Egyptian all-year-round resort in Hurghada was hit by a rare hailstorm on Saturday, January 1, 2022, surprising tourists on the beaches and breaking roofs and windows. Some of the stones were as large as 3 cm (1.2 inches). Schools in the area were ordered…

  • Eruption at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, Tonga

    Eruption at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in Tonga started on December 19, 2021, and continued into 2022 although at a much lower intensity. The Aviation Color Code remains at Orange. Intermittent eruption with an ash plume rising up to 3 km (10 000 feet)…