A powerful storm dubbed Daniel dropped exceptionally high amounts of rain over parts of central Greece on September 4 and 5, 2023, resulting in widespread flooding, destruction, and the tragic loss of at least 10 lives. Experts label this as the country’s worst storm since records began in 1930. The worst affected was the Thessaly Region, particularly its Magnesia prefecture.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.8 hit Morocco’s High Atlas mountains at 22:11 UTC on Friday, September 8, 2023. The quake hit at 23:11 local time at a depth of 18.6 km (11.5 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.9 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
Extremely heavy rains brought by the remnants of Typhoon “Haikui” caused severe floods across Hong Kong on September 8, 2023, causing widespread disruption, evacuations, and leading to at least two fatalities.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 RS flew past our planet at an extremely close distance of just 0.027 LD or 0.00007 AU (~10 361 km / 6 438 miles) from the center of Earth at 14:26 UTC on September 7. This is the 53rd known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year and the first so far this month.
At least four people died Monday, September 4, 2023, after an extratropical cyclone dumped extremely heavy rains that triggered severe floods and landslides in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Parts of the northern half of the state received 2 and even 3 months’ worth of September rains in just 72 hours.
Destructive wildfires in Maui, Hawaii have claimed at least 80 lives in just a couple of days, as of late Friday (LT), August 11, 2023. This makes them the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since it joined the United States in 1959.
At least three people have died in Slovenia due to severe flooding after more than a month’s worth of rain fell in just 10 hours on August 4, 2023. The catastrophic event caused evacuations, cut off roads, flooded buildings, and prompted the prime minister to describe the situation as ‘catastrophic.’ The floods could be the biggest since Slovenia’s independence in 1991.
The remnants of Typhoon “Doksuri” battered northern China from July 29 to August 1, 2023, unloading an entire year’s worth of rainfall and triggering devastating floods. The worst affected were Beijing and Hebei’s Zhuozhou where more than 1.2 million people were evacuated. At least 30 people have lost their lives and more than 30 remain missing.
A record rainfall of 616.5 mm (24.3 inches) in less than 24 hours hammered Chityal of Bhupalapally district in Telangana on July 26 and 27, 2023, with at least 50 locations across the state recording over 200 mm (7.87 inches) of rainfall. The torrential downpours disrupted normal life, leading to flooding in low-lying areas.
A powerful, fast-moving thunderstorm swept over northern Croatia on July 19, 2023, bringing winds up to 180 km/h and leaving massive damage in its wake. According to preliminary analyses, this event was one of the most severe thunderstorms in Zagreb’s recorded history. Unfortunately, the storm claimed the lives of 4 people and left over 2 000 others injured.
