A devastating rainstorm struck Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, October 4, 2024, triggering massive floods and landslides that caused widespread destruction, cut off villages, and claimed at least 18 lives in the central and southern regions of the country. Dozens of people are still missing and the death toll is expected to keep rising.
Typhoon “Krathon” made landfall in Kaohsiung’s Xiaogang district of southern Taiwan at 12:40 LT (04:40 UTC) on October 3, 2024, with maximum sustained winds of 126 km/h (78 mph). The slow-moving storm, affecting the island for five days, dumped torrential rains, with mountainous parts receiving up to 1 676 mm (66 inches) of rain. At least 2 people have been killed.
A major solar flare measuring X9.0 erupted from Active Region 3842 at 12:18 UTC on October 3, 2024. The event started at 12:08 and ended at 12:27 UTC. This is thus far the strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25.
A major solar flare measuring X7.1 erupted from Active Region 3842 at 22:20 UTC on October 1, 2024, producing a CME that most likely has an Earth-directed component. This is the second-strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25.
Typhoon “Krathon” reached super typhoon strength on September 30, 2024, after leaving at least 2 people dead in the Philippines. The system is expected to slightly weaken before its center approaches Taiwan on October 2 and 3. Krathon will be the first landfalling typhoon in southwestern Taiwan since 1988, bringing strong winds and heavy rain, with up to 1 000 m (39 inches) in mountainous regions.
Destructive floods and powerful winds caused by the remnants of Hurricane “Helene” have cut off Asheville, North Carolina, leaving the city without power, communication, and road access. As of Monday, September 30, the death toll across six states has exceeded 120, with over 700 people still missing.
A fire broke out at the BioLab chemical plant in Conyers, east of Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, September 29, 2024, releasing massive amounts of toxic smoke and prompting road closures, evacuations, and shelter-in-place orders.
Floods caused by extreme rainfall since Thursday, September 26, 2024, have claimed more than 130 lives across Nepal. On Saturday, September 28, the country saw the heaviest rainfall in 54 years after 323 mm (12.7 inches) of rainfall was recorded in just 24 hours. Around 136 people remain missing while over 3 000 people have been rescued so far.
Hurricane “Helene” made landfall near Perry in the Big Bend region of Florida at 23:10 local time (LT) on Thursday, September 26, 2024, as a Category 4 hurricane with record-breaking winds of 220 km/h (140 mph). It created massive life-threatening storm surges of up to 6.1 m (20 feet). Multiple extreme wind warnings have been issued across several counties in the Big Bend region before the arrival of the eye of the storm.
Widespread floods in West and Central Africa, caused by extraordinary torrential rains since July 2024, killed at least 1 000 people and affected 4 million. The floods destroyed 300 000 homes and displaced 500 000 people. The catastrophic humanitarian situation, aggravated by the northward passage of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), has resulted in widespread damage to homes, schools, medical facilities, swaths of farmland, and heightening the risk of water-borne diseases, food insecurity, and malnutrition.
