A meteorite now named Charlottetown Meteorite crashed into a walkway in Marshfield, Prince Edward Island, Canada, in July 2024. The incident was the first time in recorded history that both the impact and sound of a meteorite strike were captured on camera.
A surge of Arctic air is set to spread across much of the U.S. this weekend, bringing dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills as low as -34 °C (-30 °F) in some areas. Snow squalls will likely cause hazardous travel conditions over the Rockies and High Plains beginning on Thursday, January 16, 2025.
A powerful earthquake swarm started in the NW part of Bárðarbunga caldera, Iceland at 06:08 UTC on January 14, 2025. Initial data indicate that dozens of quakes occurred in rapid succession, hinting at possible volcanic or tectonic unrest deep beneath the ice. The current activity may be similar to the beginning of the swarm that occurred before the 2014 Holuhraun eruption.
Seismic readings indicated the onset of a glacial outburst flood from Grímsvötn volcano on January 13, 2025. Grímsvatn floods have occurred almost annually since November 2021. There are examples of volcanic eruptions occurring due to pressure relief in Grímsvötn after water gushes from there. However, glacial outburst floods have occurred much more frequently without volcanic eruptions.
Extreme rainfall hit parts of Minas Gerais, Brazil late Saturday into Sunday, January 11 into 12, 2025, causing destructive landslides in which at least 10 people lost their lives. Most casualties were reported in Ipatinga where nearly 80 mm (3.1 inches) of rain fell in just one hour, causing widespread destruction.
Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi made landfall in Madagascar’s Antsiranana province on Saturday, January 11, 2024 bringing destructive winds of up to 155 km/h (96 mph), torrential rainfall, and dangerous sea conditions, with significant impacts expected to spread across the region in the coming days.
A major winter storm swept through the Southern United States from Thursday, January 9, 2025, to Saturday, January 11, bringing heavy snows of up to 28 cm (11 inches) to some regions, causing over 1 000 flight cancellations and multiple crashes across the South.
Catastrophic wildfires fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds have been sweeping through Southern California since Tuesday, January 8, 2025, killing at least 24 people, displacing over 200 000 residents, and destroying more than 12 000 homes and buildings. In addition, more than 360 000 customers, or just over 1 million people in California were left without power.
The increase in seismic activity has prompted the relocation of approximately 80 000 residents to safer areas in Ethiopia’s Afar and Oromia regions.
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.1 hit western Xizang, China at 01:05 UTC (09:05 LT) on January 7, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.0 at a depth of 10 km. China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) is reporting M6.8 and a depth of 10 km.
