Zambia is in the throes of an unprecedented drought, prompted by El Niño, resulting in the driest February recorded since 1981. This natural disaster has compelled the President to declare a state of emergency, with 84 districts suffering and over 1 million ha (2.47 million acres) of crops devastated, causing widespread shortages in essential resources including food and water.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 GJ2 will fly past Earth at a distance of just 0.05 LD / 0.00013 AU (18 700 km / 11 620 miles) at 18:33 UTC on April 11, 2024. This is the 25th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year.
Severe flooding struck Russia’s Ural Mountains and Siberia, alongside parts of neighboring Kazakhstan since April 3, 2024, caused by rapid snow melt and heavy rainfall. The situation worsened after two dams broke near Orsk City on April 5, leading to record flood levels by April 7. The crisis has resulted in at least three deaths in Russia and more than 10 500 homes flooded. In Kazakhstan, two fatalities and nearly 75 000 displacements have been reported.
The third large wave of Saharan dust in just two weeks is moving over Europe, significantly increasing PM10 concentrations at ground level for the Iberian Peninsula, and some parts of France and Germany.
A rare earthquake registered by the USGS as M4.8 hit New Jersey, U.S. at 14:23 UTC (10:23 LT) on April 5, 2024, at a depth of 4.7 km (2.9 miles). This earthquake — now known as the 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake — is the strongest to hit New Jersey since 1783.
A small, short-lived explosion was detected at the Atka volcanic complex in Alaska at 03:36 UTC on March 28, 2024 (19:36 AKDT on March 27).
Coronal mass ejection (CME) produced by the X1.1 solar flare at 01:33 UTC on March 23, 2024, is expected to impact Earth late March 24 or early March 25, producing G2 – Moderate to G3 – Strong geomagnetic storming.
Heavy rains in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state on March 22, 2024, resulted in at least nine fatalities, with Petropolis being the hardest hit. A staggering 270 mm (11 inches) of rain fell within 24 hours, significantly impacting the region and leading to numerous incidents, including landslides and house collapses. The storm then moved to the neighboring state of Espírito Santo, dropping more than 200 mm (7.8 inches) of rainfall within 24 hours.
In a stellar event anticipated to occur between now and September 2024, the T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) star system, located 3 000 light-years away, is predicted to undergo a nova outburst, becoming visible to the unaided eye. This rare occurrence, last witnessed in 1946, will temporarily elevate the system’s brightness to match that of the North Star, offering a unique viewing opportunity.
The volcanic eruption that started in Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland on March 16, 2024, continues at a fairly constant rate, marking the most substantial activity in the region with four registered eruptions since December 2023. This event has caught the attention of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) due to the large volumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) released into the atmosphere.
