The 2026-27 El Niño has reached record levels. However, evidence suggests that the impacts on landslides may differ from the popular narrative. Earlier this week, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology provided an update on the development of the 2026-27 El Niño event. The headline is stark:- “El Niño is at near-record levels. Both oceanic and […]
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Reading Rainfall in a Snail’s Shell
The chemical record of a snail shell is allowing scientists to reconstruct a record of past storms from the recent—and maybe distant—past.
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
Landslides triggered by the 29 July to 1 August 2023 rainfall event associated with Typhoon Doksuri in northern China
A new paper (Xie et al. 2026) provides a detailed analysis of the landslides triggered by Typhoon Doksuri in northern China in 2023. Between 29 July and 1 August 2023, the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri triggered large numbers of landslides in northern China, most notably in the Taihang Mountains in Beijing, Hebei and Shanxi. Shortly […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 31 August 2026 rainfall-triggered landslides in Rason City, North Korea
Satellite images have started to reveal the hundreds of shallow landslides and channelised debris flows triggered by a major rainfall event in North Korea at the end of August 2026. Although North Korea is landslide-prone, there is a paucity of information about the impacts and losses that occur there. Interestingly, NK Pro reported last month […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 27 September 2026 landslide on the Kaligandaki River in Nepal
Videos show a large landslide on the Kaligandaki River at Lete in Mustang. On 27 September 2026, a large landslide occurred on the Kaligandaki River in Nepal. The landslide, which was triggered by heavy rainfall over the last few days, has been widely shared on social media. The Straits Times has posted a version to […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The report of the external review commissioned by Tauranga City Council into the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park landslide
The external review of the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park landslide is extremely critical of the local authority in their approach to the management of the well-documented landslide hazard and risk at the site. The external review commissioned by Tauranga City Council (TCC) into the 22 January 2026 Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park landslide released […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 4 July 2026 landslide disaster at Cantzama in Ecuador
On 4 July 2026, 19 people were killed in a massive landslide in Zamora Chinchipe province, Ecuador. Planet Labs imagery shows that this was caused by a c.1 km long landslide that occurred 13 km upstream of Cantzama. This transitioned into a channelised debris flow that destroyed the community. On 4 July 2026, a massive […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The July 2005 rainfall-induced landslides in Yangshan (the Yang Mountains) in China
Extreme rainfall in July 2025 triggered numerous landslides and debris flows that killed over 60 people. Between 23 and 29 July 2025, the Yanshan (Yan Mountain) [41.0, 120.0] area of Hebei Province in China suffered extreme rainfall that triggered extensive flooding and landslides. As is so often the case in China, I found it difficult to […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 17-21 May 2026 landslides in Shimen County, Hunan, China
Satellite images show two very large landslides and multiple smaller failures, and channelised debris flows, in Shimen County in China. In China, this year rainy season started with an intense event that covered the provinces of Guizhou, Hubei and Hunan in the period between 17 and 21 May 2026. There were some news reports at […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 17 July 2026 landslide at Hanjia in Chongqing, China
Reports suggest 42 people were killed in a large rockslope failure. Imagery suggests that suspicion will fall on a cutting at the foot of the slope. On Friday 17 July 2026, at 9:08 am local time, a large landslide occurred on the banks of the Wujiang River at Hanjia, located within of Pengshui Miao and […]