The Watchers - Featured stories

Crashes reported due to blinding dust storms in North Dakota

Rishav Kothari — Fri, 15 May 2026 17:15:00 +0000

Blinding dust storms caused crashes on state highways 83 and 85 in North Dakota on May 14, 2026, while grass fires fueled by dry and windy conditions created dangerous travel conditons on the I-29 in Traill County.

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Severe thunderstorms leave over 100 dead across Uttar Pradesh, India

Rishav Kothari — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:23:21 +0000

Severe thunderstorms swept across Uttar Pradesh, India, on the night of May 13, 2026, claiming at least 104 lives and leaving over 59 people injured across the state. Prayagraj was the worst hit, with preliminary reports indicating between 20 and 30 fatalities. Widespread destruction was reported in multiple districts, with more than 80 homes being damaged along with other structures.

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Rare volcanic ash emission detected from submarine volcano in Central Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea

Teo Blašković — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:17:29 +0000

Darwin VAAC is reporting a rare volcanic ash emission from a submarine volcano in the Bismarck Sea Volcanic Province, Papua New Guinea, since Monday, May 11, 2026. By Wednesday, May 13, ash was rising to about 4 km (13 000 feet) above sea level, while satellite imagery showed water discoloration near the advisory area. Meteorological cloud partly obscured the ash in the latest imagery, but Himawari-9 observations and model guidance continued to support the advisory.

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Giant hail up to 11.4 cm (4.5 inches) and damaging winds hit Texas

Teo Blašković — Tue, 12 May 2026 12:11:00 +0000

Severe thunderstorms produced giant hail up to 11.4 cm (4.5 inches), damaging winds, power outages, and road blockages across parts of Texas on May 10 and 11, 2026, after the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) placed parts of west-central and north-central Texas under an Enhanced Risk. SPC storm reports included baseball-size hail in several counties, wind damage near Hamilton, more than 18 000 power outages in the Austin area, and gusts up to 135 km/h (84 mph) near Corpus Christi NAS.

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Large Everglades wildfire sends smoke toward Pembroke Pines as Florida tracks 61 active fires

Rishav Kothari — Mon, 11 May 2026 11:18:57 +0000

A large wildfire burning in western Broward County, Florida, has scorched nearly 2 023 ha (5 000 acres) as of May 11, 2026, sending smoke toward the Pembroke Pines area while fire crews worked to contain the blaze. It was 20% contained after burning approximately 1 942 ha (4 800 acres), according to the Florida Forest Service (FFS).

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Dukono eruption kills 3, triggers rescue operation in North Maluku, Indonesia

Teo Blašković — Fri, 08 May 2026 09:21:58 +0000

Local police said three hikers died after Dukono volcano erupted on Halmahera Island, North Maluku, Indonesia, at 07:41 WIT (22:41 UTC on May 7) on May 8, 2026, sending volcanic ash about 10 km (6.2 miles) above the summit. Rescue teams evacuated 17 hikers while the search for three others continued.

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Nighttime tornadoes injure 17 and damage hundreds of homes in Mississippi

Teo Blašković — Thu, 07 May 2026 14:23:52 +0000

Nighttime tornadoes and severe thunderstorms tore across central and western Mississippi on Wednesday night, May 6, 2026, damaging hundreds of homes and injuring at least 17 people, according to state emergency officials. Authorities reported concentrated damage in Bogue Chitto, where a trailer park sustained heavy destruction.

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More than 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain triggers flooding, evacuations, and dam overflow in South Africa

Teo Blašković — Thu, 07 May 2026 09:52:59 +0000

More than 301 mm (11.9 inches) of rain fell in parts of South Africa’s Garden Route after an intense cut-off low brought flooding, evacuations, road closures, and infrastructure damage across the Western and Eastern Cape from May 5–7, 2026. At least one person died in Knysna, hundreds were affected in Garden Route shelter operations, and emergency shelters were opened across flood-affected parts of Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape.

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Tornado Emergency issued as large tornado hits Brookhaven area, Mississippi

Teo Blašković — Thu, 07 May 2026 07:13:56 +0000

A large, destructive tornado moved through the Brookhaven area of southern Mississippi during the evening of May 6, 2026, after the National Weather Service in Jackson issued a Tornado Emergency for communities including Brookhaven and Bogue Chitto. The event developed within an SPC Enhanced Risk severe weather setup and produced repeated radar-confirmed Tornado Debris Signatures as the storm moved from Franklin County into Lincoln County and toward Lawrence County.

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Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms from Louisiana through Mississippi into Alabama on May 6

Rishav Kothari — Wed, 06 May 2026 10:47:00 +0000

An Enhanced Risk (Level 3/5) of severe thunderstorms has been issued for parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley on May 6, 2026, as forecasters warned that storms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes are expected to develop from the Southern Plains into the Southeast. Heavy rainfall rates of 25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 inches) per hour may also accompany stronger storms across the region.

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