A strong explosive eruption took place at the Bezymianny volcano in Kamchatka, Russia, on April 23, 2025, sending an ash plume 11 km (36 000 feet) above sea level. As a result, the Aviation Color Code was raised to Red.
The Jones Road Wildfire broke out in Ocean County, New Jersey, on April 22, 2025, rapidly expanding overnight to more than 3 400 ha (8 500 acres), forcing thousands of residents to evacuate and prompting closures of major roadways, including a portion of the Garden State Parkway. The event comes amid a 266% increase in wildfire activity in New Jersey compared to the same period in 2024, with three fires this year classified as major, each burning more than 40.5 ha (100 acres).
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul, Turkey, at 09:49 UTC (12:49 local time) on April 23, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and EMSC are reporting the same magnitude and depth.
At least three people were reported dead in Oklahoma as storms swept across the U.S. from the Southern Plains through the Midwest and Upper Great Lakes between Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, 2025. The system spawned at least 22 tornadoes across six states, triggered flash floods, and left over 70 000 customers without power.
A tornado touched down in Lonoke County, Arkansas, on Sunday, April 20, 2025, causing significant damage and leaving over 1 000 customers without power. At least six tornadoes were reported across five states, downing trees and power lines across the region.
Around 41 000 years ago, Earth’s magnetic field weakened by up to 90 percent during a geomagnetic excursion known as the Laschamps event. This rare event reduced the planet’s natural shielding against solar and cosmic radiation, exposing the surface to increased ultraviolet energy. A new study combining space weather modeling and archaeological evidence shows that early humans adapted to these extreme conditions through the use of ochre, clothing, and caves, while Neanderthals may have lacked such protective strategies, which may have contributed to their extinction.
At least 15 tornadoes touched down in Iowa and Nebraska on April 17, 2025, as a severe weather system swept through the region. Tornadoes were confirmed in Omaha, Nebraska, and Essex, Iowa, damaging homes, toppling power lines, and causing significant disruption to local communities.
A late-season winter storm is forecast to deliver up to 60 cm (2 feet) of snow across parts of the Rocky Mountains through April 19, 2025, prompting winter storm alerts from Montana to Colorado. Hazardous driving conditions across the Rockies are expected through late week.
Nearly 40 million people from Texas to Michigan are under threat of severe weather as an amplifying trough begins affecting the central United States on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The system is forecast to bring strong thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and damaging winds, with the associated cold front expected to dominate weather conditions through Saturday, April 19, from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes.
Tropical Cyclone Tam, named by the Fiji Meteorological Service on April 15, 2025, is moving southeast and will bring severe weather to New Zealand’s Upper North Island beginning April 16. The center of the storm is expected to remain west of Cape Reinga, but heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous coastal conditions are forecast to impact North Island in the days ahead.
