Two very strong earthquakes registered by the USGS as M6.8 and M6.9 hit off the coast of southern Sumatra, Indonesia on August 18, 2020, at 22:23 and 22:29 UTC, respectively. The quakes hit at depths of 22 and 26 km (13.6 and 16.1 miles), according to the USGS. EMSC…
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2020 QG flew past Earth at just 0.02 LD / 0.0000623 AU (9 319 km / 5 791 miles) on August 16, 2020. This is now the closest near-Earth object to flyby Earth so far this year and the closest on record. Valid 15:38 UTC on…
Major flooding from prolonged heavy rains in Sudan has left at least 65 fatalities and 220 000 people affected, a UN spokesman said at a briefing on Monday, August 17, 2020. 17 of the country's 18 states have been impacted, with around 40 000 houses damaged…
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.6 hit Samar, Philippines at 00:03 UTC (08:03 LT) on August 18, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). PHIVOLCS is reporting M6.6 at a depth of 21 km (13 miles). The epicenter was…
A devastating derecho ripped through several Midwest states on August 10, 2020, leaving a path of destruction, more than 1.5 million customers without power, and more than 404 600 hectares (1 million acres) of destroyed or damaged crops. Northern Illinois University…
A major landslide hit the district of Sindhupalchok in Nepal early Friday morning (LT), August 14, 2020, leaving at least 39 people dead or missing. Sindhupalchok is about 130 km (81 miles) east of Kathmandu. The district is among the worst-hit areas in the massive…
Severe flooding from this year's rainy season in China has left a total of 219 fatalities and more than 63 million people affected, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said in a press conference on Thursday, August 13, 2020. Over the past two months, more…
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spotted an unusual object identified as a triple comet flying past the Sun in early August. Although the satellite captures comets all the time– most of which are Kreutz sungrazers– the particular object is not a…
Residents in Brazil are grappling with historically cold August, resulting in intense frost sweeping through many areas in Santa Catarina. Another round of extreme cold blast is set to hit next week, affecting a large portion of the southern region. All-time cold…
A wildfire sparked at the Angeles National Forest in California at around 22:38 UTC (15:38 LT) on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, has spread to 4 450 ha (11 000 acres) by 22:45 UTC on August 13 and is only 5 percent contained. The fire is located near Lake Hughes Road…
