Tropical Cyclone "Amos" (20P/JTWC) formed on April 20, 2016, north of Fiji, southern Pacific Ocean. The system is moving toward the Samoan Islands and is expected to remain nearly stationary over them through the week, increasing the potential for flash…
Southern and Eastern India are struggling with the consequences of severe drought caused by an early season heat wave and the lack of relief from monsoon rain. Dangerously high temperatures have so far claimed over 160 lives while 330 million people are affected by…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency in nine counties after record-breaking rainfall on April 18 caused unprecedented flooding in the Houston area. As of 17:00 UTC (12:00 CDT), April 19, 6 people have died as a result of severe flooding. The…
Tropical Cyclone "Fantala" strengthened to a Category 5 equivalent hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. At 18:42 UTC on April 17, its maximum sustained winds reached 277.8 km/h (172.6 mph / 150 knots; JTWC) and made Fantala one of the…
A major storm has ravaged parts of the US in the period between April 15 and 17, 2016. Heavy snowfall and flash floods wreaked havoc across the affected areas, causing large traffic disruptions, power outages and evacuations. More than 0.3 m (1 feet) of snowfall was…
An impulsive solar flare measuring M6.7 (R2 – Moderate radio blackout) erupted from Active Region 2529 at 00:29 UTC on April 18, 2016. The event started at 00:14 and ended at 00:39 UTC. This was the first M-class solar flare since M1.1 on February 15, 2016, the…
A very strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.8 (upgraded from M7.4) hit Ecuador at 23:58 (18:58 local time) on April 16, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 19.2 km (11.9 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.8 at a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles)….
A very destructive tornado ripped through the southwestern Uruguay city of Dolores on April 15, 2016, killing four people and leaving more than 200 injured. The tornado hit the city about 19:00 UTC (16:00 local time), overturning cars, shattering windows and…
Tropical Cyclone "Fantala" developed into a major hurricane and is threatening portions of the Republic of Mauritius, as of April 15, 2016. The system will continue to intensify over the next two days, and strong wind warnings are in place for several…
A very strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M7.3 (increased from M7.1) hit Kyushu, Japan at 16:25 UTC on April 15, 2016 (01:25 JST on April 16). The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS is reporting M7.0 at a depth of 10 km…
