In 2025, I recorded 663 global fatal landslides, costing 5,091 lives. I have fallen a little behind with providing updates on global fatal landslides – a consequence of the pressures associated with changing jobs. I hope that normal service can now be resumed – I have been collecting the data through this period. I am […]
Hazards & Disasters
Tropopause Temperature Drives Tropical Cyclone Simulation Diversity
Tropopause temperature biases create major tropical cyclone differences in models; cooler air boosts storm potential intensity, raising global cyclone frequency and hurricanes in experiments.
Reports of another massive landslide at the Rubaya Coltran mining site in the DRC
There are disputed reports of another massive landslide at the infamous mining site, with over 200 deaths being described by eye-witnesses. There are reports this morning that another devastating landslide has occurred at the Rubaya coltran mining site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is an area controlled by a rebel group, M23, […]
Senate Committee Approves Bill to Expand NOAA Capabilities
The markup meeting, to discuss the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2026 and the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, lasted less than 20 minutes.
Severe 2023 Drought: Sinking Carbon Sink in the Amazon
The Amazon forest has been a reliable carbon sink, soaking up some of humanity’s carbon emissions, but a severe drought in 2023 adds to growing concern that this ecosystem service is at risk.
A dramatic rockfall on the E134 road at Fjæra in Etne, Norway
An occupied vehicle was crushed, but the person in the car escaped unhurt. On 1 March 2026, a very dramatic rockfall occurred in Fjæra in Etne in Vestland county, Norway. The rockfall, which originated on a steep rock slope on the flanks of Åkrafjorden, did not kill anyone, but it crushed a pick-up truck (see below). […]
Satellite View of the California Wildfires of January 2025
Satellite observations of the southern California wildfires of 2025 reveal that almost all the burned areas were reached by fire within 24 hours, and wildfires in residential areas burned more intensely than nearby natural vegetation fires at night.
The 23-24 February 2026 landslide disaster in Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Heavy rainfall in the Zona da Mata area of Brazil has triggered multiple landslides. Over 50 people have been killed. Over the period of 23 and 24 February 2026, extremely intense rainfall struck the Zona da Mata area of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil, triggering landslides and flooding. The most seriously affected area was the city […]
The 8 December 2024 fatal landslide on the Güngören hillslope in Artvin, northeastern Türkiye
A landslide that killed four people in Turkey was associated with progressive failure of a slope with known stability issues. Final failure was triggered by heavy, but not exceptional, raifall. On 8 December 2024, a fatal landslide occurred on the Güngören hillslope in Artvin, northeastern Türkiye. The failure, which occurred at 3:05 am local time, […]
The 20 February 2026 garbage landslide at Rodriguez, Rizal in the Philippines
Three people were killed in a major failure at a privately owned garbage dump on Friday. Earlier reports of 50 deaths are now believed to have been erroneous. On 20 February 2026, the Philippines suffered another major garbage landslide, following the tragic events that occurred at Binaliw in Cebu on 8 January 2026, which killed […]
