A strong and shallow earthquake, registered by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) as M5.9, struck near Torishima Island, Japan, at 23:14 UTC on September 23, 2024 (08:14 JST on September 24). The agency reported a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The USGS reported M5.6 at a depth of 11.7 km (7.3 miles), while the EMSC reported M5.6 at a depth of 9 km (5.6 miles).
A severe snowstorm swept across South Africa on Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21, 2024, stranding hundreds of motorists, including those on the N3 highway between Johannesburg and Durban. Many were trapped on the roads for 24 hours without access to food or water. One person has passed away after spending the night trapped in sub-zero temperatures.
Heavy torrential rains struck the Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan on Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21, 2024, leading to severe flooding in the region, and prompting the highest level of flood alert. Wajima City recorded 318.5 mm (12.5 inches) of rainfall between Friday and Saturday, while Suzu recorded 226 mm (8.9 inches) of rain within the same period. One person was killed and more than 10 remain missing, as of 12:00 UTC today.
Typhoon “Pulasan” made landfall in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, September 19, 2024, bringing in over 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain in just 6 hours. Around 112 000 people were evacuated, barricades were set up, and several trains and ferry services were suspended as precautionary measures.
A new study published in the Russian Journal of Pacific Geology looks into geomagnetic excursions over the last 10 000 years utilizing peat deposits from Russia’s Khabarovsk Territory. The study called into attention the importance of understanding these transitory shifts in Earth’s magnetic poles, which differ from total geomagnetic reversals and impact climatic and environmental circumstances.
Wildfires have engulfed northern and central Portugal, leading to widespread destruction and the deaths of at least seven people. With over 5 000 firefighters and international assistance mobilized, authorities are struggling to contain the infernos that have burnt thousands of hectares of land as high temperatures and winds exacerbate the situation.
Around 457 mm (18 inches) of rain fell in Carolina Beach on Monday, September 16, 2024, as a powerful coastal storm — Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight — triggered flash floods, leaving roads impassable and prompting widespread rescue efforts in southeastern North Carolina.
Storm Boris has wreaked havoc across Central and Eastern Europe over the past 4 days, unleashing catastrophic floods that have claimed at least 18 lives, displaced thousands, and left entire regions under water. Countries like Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic are battling widespread destruction as rivers overflow, bridges collapse, and emergency services struggle to manage the crisis.
The aftermath of Typhoon “Yagi” has left Myanmar devastated, with at least 459 people dead, more than 450 missing, over 240 000 displaced, and entire regions submerged under floodwaters.
Europe is experiencing a sharp weather shift following the collapse of a persistent heat dome that had brought record-breaking temperatures across the continent in early September 2024. As the heatwave subsided, parts of central Europe transitioned abruptly from extreme summer heat to unusually cold and wet conditions. Austria, for example, saw early snowfall shortly after temperatures had soared above seasonal norms. This sudden weather shift, caused by a breakdown of the high-pressure system, is now leading to prolonged rains and cold blasts in central Europe.
