Tropical Cyclone “Freddy” made landfall over the northern Vatovavy-Fitovinany Region in central-eastern Madagascar on February 21, 2023, with maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h (102 mph).
A major winter storm is set to bring heavy snowfall from the West Coast to the Northeast over the next few days. The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center has warned of multiple hazards across the country, including widespread heavy snow, blizzard conditions, a zone of sleet and freezing rain, high winds, severe thunderstorms and record low and high temperatures.
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.
A long-duration solar flare measuring X2.2 at its peak erupted from AR 3229 (beta) at 20:16 UTC on February 17, 2023. The event started at 19:38 and ended at 20:50 UTC. A full halo Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was produced and it appears there is an Earth-directed component. The estimated time of arrival is February 20.
Authorities are investigating a possible meteorite impact in the city of Mission, south Texas, after numerous residents in the area reported an explosion that shook their homes on February 15, 2023. Our analysis points to a meteor exploding over south Texas, with some pieces surviving the atmospheric entry.
New Zealand’s North Island has been severely impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle over the past couple of days, with floods, landslides, and ocean swells leaving many people stranded on rooftops. The storm, which caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, also closed numerous roads, canceled hundreds of flights, and left about 225 000 people without power. At least 4 people have been killed.
South Africa has declared a National State of Disaster due to the widespread impact of floods in several provinces, which have caused the loss of lives, severe damage to infrastructure, and affected homes and businesses. The flooding was brought by heavy rain affecting the region since February 8.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 CX1 impacted Earth over the English Channel between England and France, Europe at 02:59 UTC on February 13, 2023. This small asteroid was discovered just several hours before impact, making it the 7th asteroid to be discovered before impacting Earth.
Despite being downgraded from a tropical cyclone, Gabrielle is intensifying and spreading strong winds and heavy rain across a wider area affecting the whole of the North Island in some way.
