The Watchers - Editor's Picks

Tokachidake volcano erupts for first time since 2004, Japan

Teo Blašković — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:01:50 +0000

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed a very small eruption at Tokachidake’s 62-2 crater at 11:07 LT (02:07 UTC) on July 22, 2026, the volcano’s first eruption since February 2004. A black plume rose approximately 200 m (656 feet) above the crater rim, while Volcanic Alert Level 2 remained in effect. Tokachidake is located in central Hokkaido, on Japan’s northernmost main island, approximately 900 km (560 miles) north-northeast of Tokyo.

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Dangerous heat expands across the Southern U.S. with major to locally extreme HeatRisk

Reet Kaur — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:54:55 +0000

Dangerous heat is forecast to persist across the southern United States for several days while expanding into the Central and Southern Plains. The National Weather Service is forecasting widespread Major to locally Extreme HeatRisk, daytime highs of 35--41°C (95--105°F), heat index values reaching 41--46°C (105--115°F), and record warm overnight lows of 24--27°C (75--80°F) through Sunday, July 26, 2026. The prolonged combination of hot afternoons and unusually warm nights is expected to produce cumulative heat stress, particularly for people without adequate cooling or hydration.

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Rare Atlantic Niña develops as strengthening El Niño points to quieter 2026 Atlantic hurricane season

Rishav Kothari — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 07:18:48 +0000

A rare Atlantic Niña has developed across the equatorial Atlantic while El Niño continues strengthening in the tropical Pacific. Although Atlantic Niña events are relatively uncommon, forecasters say the developing pattern could reinforce atmospheric conditions that typically suppress tropical cyclone formation across the Atlantic basin.

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El Niño strengthens, 81% chance of becoming one of the strongest on record by late 2026

Rishav Kothari — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:30:00 +0000

El Niño has strengthened significantly over the past month and is expected to intensify through the end of 2026, with NOAA forecasters warning there is now an 81% chance the climate pattern could rank among the strongest El Niño events observed since records began in 1950.

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Strengthening El Niño and Atlantic cold anomaly in focus for Winter 2026–27 outlook

Rishav Kothari — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:17:50 +0000

A strengthening El Niño and a persistent cool sea-surface-temperature anomaly in the subpolar North Atlantic, associated with the feature known in climate research as the North Atlantic warming hole, may influence large-scale atmospheric circulation during early Winter 2026–27 across North America and Europe, according to seasonal forecast guidance from major international forecasting centers.

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Reservoir breaches and Maysak floods leave 6 dead, 11 missing in Guangxi, China

Teo Blašković — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:17:50 +0000

Severe flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Maysak left 2 people dead in Nanning, Guangxi, on July 6, 2026, after extreme rainfall caused Liulan and Yunbiao reservoirs in Hengzhou to overtop and develop breaches. The Nanning flood-control briefing reported about 55 000 people affected and 48 000 evacuated, as of late Monday, July 7.

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LaGuardia records highest midnight temperature on record as New York City heat wave persists

Reet Kaur — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:37:27 +0000

LaGuardia Airport recorded an official temperature of 34.4°C (94°F) around midnight into July 4, 2026, establishing the station’s highest midnight temperature on record as an intense heat wave affected New York City and much of the northeastern United States. According to National Weather Service observations, the reading surpassed the previous midnight record of 33.9°C (93°F) set on July 18, 2013. The National Weather Service maintained Extreme Heat Warnings across much of the New York metropolitan area as dangerous heat persisted through the overnight hours.

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Mutnovsky volcano erupts for first time since 2013, Russia

Teo Blašković — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:30:03 +0000

Mutnovsky volcano in southern Kamchatka, Russia, produced an ash explosion at 20:19 UTC on July 1, 2026 (08:19 LT on July 2), marking its first documented eruption since July 3, 2013. KVERT reported that the approximately 3-minute event generated an ash plume up to 3.5 km (11 500 feet) above sea level, extending about 10 km (6 miles) west of the volcano.

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Large asteroid 1997 NC1 makes its closest Earth pass in over four centuries – live watch

Teo Blašković — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:16:32 +0000

Asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 will pass Earth at 6.67 lunar distances (about 0.017 AU), or 2.5 million km (1.6 million miles) above Earth’s surface, at 11:16 UTC on June 27, 2026. The object has an estimated diameter between 750–1 650 m (2 460–5 410 feet), making this an unusually close encounter for an object of this size. The Virtual Telescope Project will stream the flyby live at 23:00 UTC on June 26 and 27, offering real-time views as the asteroid reaches peak brightness.

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Pumice from Titan Ridge eruption blocks sea access in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea

Teo Blašković — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:02:09 +0000

Large floating pumice accumulations from the Titan Ridge submarine eruption have inundated coastal villages in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea, this week, blocking sea access and preventing boat movement.

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