Storm Ellen brought winds as strong as a Category 1 hurricane and heavy rains to parts of the UK and Ireland through Wednesday night, August 19, 2020, leaving nearly 200 000 properties without power. Winds up to 180 km/h (112 mph) were reported off the coast of…
A wildfire caused by lightning on July 31, 2020, about 29 km (18 miles) north of Grand Junction, Colorado has spread to 49 283 ha (121 781 acres) by August 20, 2020. Since rapid spread on August 19, this is the second-largest wildfire in the state's history….
The Governor of California Gavin Newsom declared a statewide state of emergency on August 18, 2020, as a result of the ongoing wildfires and heatwave affecting the state. As of early August 20, more than 400 wildfires are burning across the state. An 'Extreme…
A "very intense" Antarctic air mass is forecast to spread across wide swaths of South America this week, with the potential to bring historical cold and snow, MetSul warned. The cold blast will sweep across a large portion of Argentina and reach Brazil,…
Authorities in China's Hubei province say the Three Gorges Dam is facing the most severe floods since it was built. By August 20, the Three Gorges Dam in central China’s Hubei Province is expected to see the most severe round of floods since it was…
The Chinese province of Sichuan, located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, has activated the highest level of flood control response for the first time on record on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, as rain-induced floods continue ravaging parts of the province….
The Irish Meteorological Service — Met Éireann — named Storm Ellen on Tuesday evening, August 18, 2020. Ellen formed over the Atlantic Ocean — fuelled by the remnants of Hurricane "Kyle" — and is forecast to bring disruptive and potentially…
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…
