At least 27 people were killed as major tornado outbreak struck Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia late on May 16, 2025. Nearly 800 000 customers lost power across the central and eastern United States, affecting an estimated 2 million people. In Kentucky alone, at least 7 tornadoes were confirmed, and over 100 000 customers were left without electricity as the storms moved eastward.
Torrential rains struck northern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, between May 16 and 18, 2025, forcing over 4 100 people to evacuate and leaving several others missing. The storms brought more than 400 mm (16 inches) of rainfall, flooding towns, closing major highways, and disrupting the regional soybean harvest.
A violent tornado struck the city of London in Laurel County, Kentucky, at 23:49 LT on May 16, 2025, killing at least nine people and injuring many others. The tornado caused extensive damage along Keavy Road, KY 1006, and Old Whitley Road.
The first-ever Dust Storm Warning for the Chicago metro area was issued on May 16, 2025, as winds of up to 113 km/h (70 mph) carried dust into the city. The storm reduced visibility to near zero and affected major routes across Chicago and surrounding areas.
A destructive tornado struck the St. Louis metropolitan area, Missouri, on May 16, 2025, killing at least five people and injuring dozens, according to city officials. The storm caused significant damage to infrastructure and homes, with over 5 000 properties affected. At least seven storm-related deaths were reported across multiple states on May 16, with some reports mentioning at least 10 fatalities.
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.
