The Dominican Republic has been severely impacted by a tropical disturbance that brought record-breaking rainfall and catastrophic flooding across various regions.
In a dramatic shift from drought to deluge, Somalia is experiencing unprecedented flooding described as a ‘once-in-a-century’ event by the UN. This natural disaster, exacerbated by El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole, has put approximately 1.6 million people at risk, with over 1.24 million already affected. The nation faces a severe humanitarian challenge as it contends with the aftermath of these extreme weather conditions.
On November 5, 2023, observers across the globe were treated to a striking light show, courtesy of a G3 – Strong geomagnetic storm. This solar event was powerful enough to push the typically high-latitude auroras into lower latitudes, with sightings as far south as Texas and Arizona in the United States, as well as in European countries like Italy and Greece. Sightings were also reported in Australia and New Zealand.
Storm Ciarán — the 5th named and the most powerful storm of the 2023/24 European windstorm season — wreaked havoc across Western Europe on November 2, 2023, with record winds reaching 200 km/h (124 mph), leading to floods, blackouts, and major disruptions. Ciarán underwent explosive cyclogenesis, affecting Western Europe and culminating in numerous fatalities, record-breaking wind speeds, and extensive power outages.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 UR10 flew past Earth at just 0.036 LD / 0.00009 AU (13 951 km / 8 669 miles) from the center of our planet at 04:27 UTC on October 20, 2023. This is about 7 580 km (4 709 miles) from the surface.
Tropical Storm “Otis” explosively intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in just 12 hours and continued intensifying on its way toward Mexico where it made landfall at 06:25 UTC on October 25, 2023, as a Category 5 hurricane. This is now one of the fastest-intensifying hurricanes in the world’s history.
The center of Tropical Cyclone “Lola” approached the islands of Maewo, Pentecost, and Ambae in Vanuatu at around 12:00 UTC on October 24, 2023, with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). A Red Alert is now in effect for Torba, Sanma, Penama, Malampa, and Shefa, and a Blue alert for Tafea Province.
Typhoon “Koinu” made landfall in Cape Eluanbi, southern Taiwan, on October 4, 2023, breaking wind speed records and injuring 190 people. Despite the high winds and significant rainfall, no deaths have been reported.
A recently published study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters has revealed that the Gulf Stream transport of water through the Florida Straits has weakened by approximately 4% over the past 40 years. Researchers state with 99% certainty that this is more than what would be expected from random variations, marking the first definitive evidence of significant change in the current.
Medicane “Marquesa”, also known as Storm Daniel, made a devastating landfall in Libya on September 10, 2023, resulting in severe flash flooding, especially in the country’s northeast. The storm brought with it extremely heavy rainfall, leading to catastrophic flooding and a tragic death toll of over 4 500 people, with thousands still missing.
