A strong eruption began at Sheveluch volcano, Kamchatka, Russia, around 18:00 UTC on May 16, 2025, producing a plume of ash and sulfur dioxide up to 12.2 km (40 000 feet) above sea level, according to the Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC). The Aviation Color Code remains at Orange.
Camp Mabry broke a 100-year-old daily heat on Thursday, May 15, 2025, as an early-season heat wave caused multiple daily heat records to break across south-central Texas. The heat wave is forecast to continue through the weekend into the next week, with some areas expected to see the highest May temperatures on record.
A severe hailstorm struck Beijing on May 13, 2025, producing hailstones up to 4 cm (1.6 inches) in diameter that caused widespread vehicle damage, disrupted traffic, and led to flight cancellations. The storm triggered multiple alerts from the Beijing Meteorological Observatory and impacted 13 districts.
A major solar flare measuring X2.7 erupted from Active Region 4087 at 08:19 UTC on May 14, 2025. The event began at 08:04 and ended at 08:31 UTC. This is the 8th X-class solar flare of the year and the strongest to date. It currently ranks as the 15th most powerful flare of Solar Cycle 25, exceeding the X2.56 event observed on February 16, 2024. This is also the second X-class flare within the past 24 hours, following an X1.2 flare at 15:38 UTC on May 14 from a region near the Sun’s west limb.
A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for parts of western Maryland on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, as floods forced over 200 people to evacuate three schools in Allegany County. Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy in Albemarle County, Virginia, was reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters from a nearby creek.
A strong earthquake registered by the EMSC as M6.1 hit Crete, Greece, at 22:51 UTC on May 13, 2025 (00:51 local time, May 14) at a depth of 71 km (44 miles). USGS is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 74 km (46 miles).
Over 100 people were killed in Kasaba Village, South Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, after the Kasaba River overflowed following heavy rainfall between May 8 and 9, 2025. The resulting floods damaged more than 150 homes, injured multiple residents, and devastated the surrounding area.
Over 160 000 residents were placed under confinement after a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Vilanova i la Geltrú, northeastern Spain, releasing a large plume of toxic chlorine gas on Saturday morning, May 10, 2025.
Heat advisories are in effect across southern California from Friday to Saturday, May 9–10, 2025, with level 3 out of 4 HeatRisk issued for parts of the region due to the increased risk of heat-related illnesses.
Record rains drenched New Orleans on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, as severe storms brought flash floods and strong gusts to parts of Louisiana, causing widespread damage.
