Natural disasters and severe weather: reported damage, affected communities and disruption to everyday services.
Read each event in its location and time. The coverage brings together supported details about the hazard, reported damage and the response. It distinguishes observed effects from warnings or forecasts and keeps uncertainty attached to estimates as the reporting develops.
Ordered by reported development. Each article describes what was known at the time shown.
Western Europe experienced its hottest summer on record, with extreme heat stress affecting more than half the continent. The heat was linked to deaths, damaged harvests, low river levels and severe wildfire conditions.
Scientists observing Alaska’s thawing permafrost found methane bubbling from formerly frozen ground. The release adds heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere and is making ground that supports infrastructure less reliable, according to NBC.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned on October 1 that the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict is placing additional pressure on farmers and rural communities in south Lebanon. A separate account cited estimates that about 22% of Lebanon’s agricultural land has been damaged or affected.
Hurricane Rachel strengthened off Mexico’s Pacific coast while moving away from the mainland. The National Hurricane Center forecast no landfall, but rain, flooding, surf and tropical-storm-force gusts remained possible along parts of the southwestern coast.
Switzerland’s glaciers lost 5.5% of their ice in 2026 after a long, hot summer, according to the GLAMOS monitoring report. Record losses at major glaciers threaten future water availability and increase mountain-instability concerns as ice and permafrost retreat.
A 160-metre asteroid struck the North Sea 43–46 million years ago, creating the buried Silverpit Crater near Yorkshire. Simulations suggest the nearby tsunami exceeded 100 metres, but the event poses no current hazard.
A Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber crashed shortly after takeoff during a training flight in an uninhabited area about 4,000 kilometers from Moscow. Russia’s Defense Ministry said six crew members died and one person was injured; no nuclear weapons or ammunition were reportedly aboard.
Remnants of Hurricane Polo are expected to combine with an existing storm, bringing repeated heavy rain to southern Colorado from Tuesday through Thursday. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch, while the heaviest rainfall areas remain uncertain.
Flooding across Thailand since September 16 has killed at least 23 people and affected about 700,000 residents. Bangkok declared an emergency across all 50 districts, with nearly 7,000 people in shelters as officials continued drainage and assistance efforts.
An avalanche struck Himlung Himal’s base camp in Nepal during severe weather, killing four Nepali workers and leaving 12 missing. Ten others were rescued as teams searched the mountain.
Torrential rain flooded several Osogbo communities and damaged the bridge linking Ijaaregbe to Ilesa, while residents reported lost property and disrupted access.
A study of residents near Maui’s 2023 wildfires found that higher metal levels in the body were associated with abnormal lung function months after the fires. Researchers cautioned that other exposures may also have contributed.
A record-strength El Niño is suppressing Atlantic hurricane formation, while unusually warm Pacific waters and related weather shifts are increasing risks for parts of the Americas and other regions.
Tropical moisture is expected to bring widespread showers and thunderstorms across Southern Nevada through Tuesday, with the greatest flash-flood risk in Mohave County, Arizona. Heavy rain, lightning, strong gusts and hazardous boating conditions are the main concerns.
Flooding since Sept. 16 has killed eight people and affected 1.8 million across Thailand. Bangkok’s central waters have receded, but serious flooding remains in outlying districts and could take two to three weeks to drain.
The nor’easter that battered the U.S. Northeast is weakening after flooding, fallen trees and power outages. One person died, while coastal flooding and travel disruptions remained possible in parts of New York and New Jersey.
Bangkok extended its flood disaster declaration to every district after about 300mm of rain, with water reaching 60cm in places and transport disrupted. A two-day holiday was declared while officials worked on drainage, shelters and assistance.
A fast-moving brush fire near Olowalu Village on Maui led to an evacuation order on September 26. Crews later reported the fire more than 100 acres in size and 70% contained, with no structures reported impacted; strong winds limited helicopter operations.
A cold front meeting tropical moisture from Hurricane Polo’s remnants is expected to bring repeated storms and flash-flood risk from Monday night into Wednesday. Forecast rainfall is highest in parts of West Texas and southeast New Mexico, with some isolated totals up to four inches.
Remnants of Hurricane Polo are expected to bring heavier rain to parts of Texas and the US-Mexico border region. A flood watch covers El Paso and Las Cruces, where saturated ground raises the risk of flooding from Monday through Wednesday.
Incessant rain since Thursday triggered floods and landslides across Nepal. Police said two people died and three were missing, while dozens of homes were swept away and highways were obstructed.
Hurricane Nolo was moving southwest away from Hawaii’s Big Island, but high winds, heavy rain and flash flooding remained possible. Advisories stayed in effect as the storm moved about 260 miles offshore.
A powerful nor’easter is battering the U.S. East Coast, causing flooding and widespread power outages. Tens of thousands are without electricity, while strong winds, large waves and travel cancellations disrupt coastal communities.
Corpus Christi came close to asking residents, businesses and industries to cut water use by 25% after reservoirs fell to nearly 7% during severe drought. Summer rain provided temporary relief, but officials and experts say the region must develop additional supplies.
Hurricane Polo weakened to Category 3 but remains a major threat to Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The National Hurricane Center expects hurricane conditions Monday, followed by a possible approach to Sonora on Tuesday.
On September 26, 2026, India’s weather agency issued red alerts for intense rain in districts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Heavy rain also closed schools in Chhattisgarh, affected villages and roads, and followed severe rainfall in Odisha.
Connecticut activated its Emergency Operations Center as a forecast nor’easter threatened heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding across the state. Enhanced monitoring began September 25, with partial activation scheduled for September 26.
A Beach Hazards Statement covers Orange and San Diego County beaches through Wednesday. Elevated surf, high tides and dangerous rip currents could cause minor overflow, erosion and flooding in low-lying coastal areas.
Hurricane Nolo was forecast to bring tropical-storm conditions to Hawaii’s Big Island and heavy rain to the Big Island and Maui over the weekend. Forecasters warned of potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain.
Haiti’s internal displacement crisis has reached nearly 1.5 million people, with about 80% living outside Port-au-Prince. IOM data also recorded a 16% rise in displacement in Artibonite between May and August 2026, as hurricane, flood and landslide risks add pressure.
Flood recovery is continuing in New Richland, Minnesota, after weekend flooding affected much of the community. The city says 10 to 12 homes will probably be declared total losses, while the number of displaced residents remains unknown.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Şanlıurfa province on September 24, with strong tremors reported across neighboring provinces. Authorities reported precautionary evacuations and minor cracks in some rural buildings, but no severe damage was reported in the supplied account.
Residents of Faulder near Summerland, British Columbia, are starting a difficult recovery after a wildfire last month incinerated most structures in the community. The destruction has left families rebuilding homes, livelihoods and local services.
Scotland’s four-year flood resilience programme assigns farmers and crofters roles in water management and natural flood measures. A £5 million fund is planned for community preparedness from 2027.
Flooding that began on September 20, 2026 worsened in four communities in Enugu State, Nigeria, displacing residents and damaging homes, roads, farms, shops and rice mills. More than 10 houses reportedly collapsed, while the full number of displaced people remains unclear.
Tropical Storm Nolo was strengthening near Hawaii’s Big Island, where a tropical storm warning had been issued and hurricane conditions were possible. Heavy rain was expected to begin over the island, with Nolo forecast to pass nearby as a potentially Category 3 hurricane this weekend.
Hawaii officials estimate about $686 million in damage and recovery costs after four disasters in six months, plus $319 million in proposed resilience projects. The events affected 1,290 homes, according to the governor’s outline.
A potential nor’easter is expected to affect Massachusetts’ coast over the weekend, bringing heavy rain, high winds and strong surf. Wind gusts could reach 50 mph, with flooding possible in low-lying areas.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah is expected to raise climate justice and financing at the UN after August floods killed more than 1,400 people and left over 6,000 missing in Nepal and Tibet.
A hurricane watch covers Hawaiʻi County as Tropical Storm Nolo strengthens south of the islands. Forecasts cited by the National Hurricane Center allow for hurricane conditions, flooding and dangerous coastal waves from late Friday into the weekend.