Lava from an ongoing eruption at Piton de la Fournaise entered the Indian Ocean along the southeastern coast of Réunion Island at about 00:20 local time on March 16, 2026, after advancing downslope through the Grand Brûlé lava field and crossing the RN2 coastal road several days earlier, producing steam plumes and localized hazards where molten rock met seawater.
A wildfire outbreak in western and central Nebraska has burned more than 243 000 ha (600 000 acres) since March 12, 2026, according to state officials, including the Morrill Fire, which Gov. Jim Pillen described as the largest wildfire in Nebraska history. One fatality has been confirmed as strong winds and critically dry vegetation fueled a rapid fire spread across the Nebraska Sandhills. The fires have also burned parts of Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge within the Sandhills, a region regarded as the world’s most intact temperate grassland.
Lava from an ongoing eruption at Piton de la Fournaise crossed the RN2 coastal road in the Grand Brûlé sector of Réunion Island early March 13, 2026, cutting a key transport link between the island’s southern and eastern regions.
An EF-3 tornado struck Lake Village, Newton County, Indiana during the evening of March 10, 2026, killing two people and destroying homes as a long-track supercell moved from northern Illinois into northwestern Indiana. A National Weather Service damage survey determined the tornado produced winds of about 240 km/h (150 mph) and tracked approximately 58.9 km (36.6 miles) across the region.
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.
Multiple atmospheric diagnostics show that a major sudden stratospheric warming is underway over the Arctic, with strong planetary wave activity, rapid polar warming, and reversal of the stratospheric jet indicating a significant disruption of the polar vortex circulation. This type of stratospheric disruption can influence atmospheric circulation patterns in the coming weeks, sometimes increasing the likelihood of cold air outbreaks across parts of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Subtropical Storm Caiobá formed off southern Brazil on March 2, 2026, after two subtropical depressions developed simultaneously in the South Atlantic. According to Metsul Meteorologia and available South Atlantic cyclone records, no previous instance of simultaneous subtropical depressions has been documented since formal monitoring and classification began. Caiobá moved away from the coast of Brazil without any major impacts.
A near-stationary tropical low has triggered one of the most significant inland rainfall events in recent decades, inundating vast areas of central Australia and prompting disaster declarations across the Northern Territory. More than 600 mm (24 inches) of rain has been recorded at some remote stations, with additional heavy rainfall forecast to expand south into South Australia and Victoria through early next week, increasing the risk of further flooding. Meteorologists described it as a remarkable and highly unusual meteorological event.
A significant explosive eruption occurred at Kanlaon Volcano, Philippines, at 19:04 local time (LT) on February 26, 2026, sending a dense ash plume 2.5 km (1.6 miles) above the crater and producing pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) that descended its upper slopes. The eruption lasted two minutes and was followed by 77 minutes of continuous ash emission dispersed over southern Negros Island.
A fast-moving wildfire known as the National Fire burned approximately 10 117 ha (25 000 acres) in Big Cypress National Preserve, Collier County, Florida, between February 22 and 25, 2026, expanding from about 405 ha (1 000 acres) and remaining at 0% containment. The fire spread under extreme drought conditions, affecting nearly all of Florida. Smoke reduced visibility along Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley), State Road 29, and U.S. 41, prompting transportation advisories and area closures.
