Hazard news for travellers

The Met Office named Storm Boelo as it arrived from the west on Saturday 24 October, hours after Storm Austen, the season's first named storm, moved on into the Low Countries. The amber wind warning covers all of mainland Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England from 9pm on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday, with yellow warnings reaching further south into England and covering the whole of Northern Ireland.

Widespread gusts of 60–70 mph (95–115 km/h) are forecast, with up to 80 mph (130 km/h) possible on exposed coasts and 50–60 mph (80–95 km/h) more widely inland. Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway advised securing loose items outside, expecting travel disruption and being ready for power cuts, and said spells of heavy rain could add to the impacts.

By Saturday evening the Environment Agency had 13 flood warnings and 66 flood alerts in place in England, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency 29 warnings and 11 alerts, and Natural Resources Wales five flood warnings on the rivers Ely, Ewenny, Lower Clydach and Rhondda. Storm Austen had already gusted to 76 mph at St Mary's airport on the Isles of Scilly, 74 mph at Aberporth in Wales and 71 mph at Culdrose in Cornwall early on Friday.

If you are travelling in Scotland, Northern Ireland or northern England on Sunday, check before you set off: ferry sailings to the islands, high bridges and exposed upland roads are the first to close, and trains run to reduced speed limits in high winds. Stay well back from seafronts and piers, where waves can sweep people off their feet, and keep clear of woodland and temporary structures while the winds last.

A special bulletin from the India Meteorological Department's Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar placed the depression at 15.8°N, 90.7°E over the east-central and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal, about 820 km east-south-east of Visakhapatnam and 910 km east-south-east of Kakinada.

The IMD expects it to become a deep depression on Sunday 25 October, a cyclonic storm by Monday morning, a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday morning and then a very severe cyclonic storm, crossing the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of Wednesday 28 October with sustained winds of 115–125 km/h gusting to 140 km/h. A Pre-Cyclone Watch has been issued for the Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts.

In Odisha, orange warnings for heavy to very heavy rain cover Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam, with a red warning for extremely heavy rain at isolated places over Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam. Distant Cautionary Signal No. 1 has been advised at all Odisha ports, and the state government has cancelled leave for its employees while NDRF and ODRAF teams stand by.

Fishermen have been told to stay out of the east-central and south-east Bay of Bengal and Andaman waters until 26 October, out of the west-central, north-west and south-west Bay from 26 to 28 October, and away from the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts on 27 and 28 October.

Travellers heading for Puri, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada or the Andaman Islands this week should expect cancelled boat trips, closed beaches and disrupted trains and flights around Wednesday, and should rebook rather than travel through the landfall window. Follow district administration instructions, keep away from the shore and from low-lying coastal roads, and treat the gap before the storm as time to move inland rather than a chance to see the sea.

At 3pm on Saturday 24 October the season's 30th typhoon was over the sea north of the Sakishima Islands, about 250 km north of Yonaguni, moving north-north-east at 20 km/h with a central pressure of 985 hectopascals and maximum winds of up to 30 metres per second, Jiji Press reported.

Iriomote in Okinawa Prefecture recorded 567 mm of rain in 48 hours by 1.40pm, a record for the location. Owase in Mie Prefecture, far to the north-east, measured 329 mm in 24 hours to 5pm as a weather front drew in moisture ahead of the storm.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said Champi could approach the Kyushu region in south-western Japan on Monday 26 October before weakening into an extratropical cyclone and reaching waters off western Shikoku. It is urging caution over heavy rain, partly because of a lingering front stretching from eastern to western Japan.

Rain of this kind brings landslides and swollen rivers as much as wind damage, and the front means heavy downpours well away from the storm's track. Travellers in Kyushu and western Japan should check Japan Railways and airline notices before Monday, since Shinkansen services and flights are often suspended hours in advance. Avoid rivers, steep slopes and coastal walkways, and keep away from beaches and harbour walls, where swell arrives before the storm itself.

The US Geological Survey gave the quake a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 at a depth of 10 km, centred about 197 km west-north-west of Port Olry on the island of Espiritu Santo. It was followed shortly afterwards by an aftershock of preliminary magnitude 6.3.

A tsunami warning was issued for the area and was later rescinded, the Associated Press reported. There were no immediate reports of damage.

Vanuatu lies along the New Hebrides trench, where the Australian and Pacific plates meet, and strong offshore earthquakes are frequent. Because many of them are far out to sea, tsunami alerts here are often issued and cancelled within an hour or two.

If you are on the coast in Vanuatu and feel a long or violent earthquake, move inland or to high ground straight away rather than waiting for an official alert, and stay there until authorities say it is safe. Keep a radio or phone alerts on, expect aftershocks for several days, and check with your airline before travelling to Luganville or Sola, as domestic flights are sometimes delayed while runways and terminals are inspected.

Heavy rain brought severe flooding to the Four Corners region, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet, on Friday 23 October. In Farmington, New Mexico, city spokesperson Gina Intoppa said some 600 households along the San Juan River had been told to evacuate, and police chief Steve Hebbe called it a "once in a generation" event.

New Mexico National Guard boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles were used from Thursday night into Friday. San Juan County spokesman Devin Neeley said rescuers were picking people off roofs, and water stood three to four feet (1 to 1.5 metres) deep inside some houses in the county. No deaths or serious injuries had been reported.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency in 11 counties. Highway 160 was impassable at South Fork, where pickup trucks were left submerged, and in Archuleta County rescuers in a state helicopter worked to reach two adults stranded in a partly submerged motor home. Utah 24 through Capitol Reef National Park was among the roads damaged, and flood watches ran into the weekend in Utah.

Forecasters linked the rain to tropical systems coming ashore from the Pacific, after two wet months ended a summer of drought. On the Navajo Nation, downstream on the San Juan River, floodwaters were not expected to peak until late Friday or early Saturday, and Deputy Police Chief Donnie Kee urged residents not to wait to evacuate. Up to half an inch (one centimetre) more rain was forecast for north-western New Mexico over the weekend.

Road conditions in this area can change within hours, so check state transport departments before driving and never go around barriers or into moving water: most flood deaths happen in vehicles. If you are camping or staying in a canyon or near a dry wash, move to higher ground when heavy rain is forecast rather than waiting for the water to arrive, and act on evacuation orders immediately.

Typhoon Champi, numbered Typhoon No. 30 in Japan and classed by the Japan Meteorological Agency as large and strong, was approaching the Sakishima Islands, which take in the Miyako and Yaeyama groups in Okinawa Prefecture, at 10am on Friday 23 October. JMA placed its centre at 23.2°N, 123.6°E at midday, with a central pressure of 955 hPa, sustained winds of 148 km/h and gusts to 213 km/h, moving north-north-west at 15 km/h.

JMA forecast up to 250 mm of rain in the Okinawa region in the 24 hours to midday on Saturday 24 October and up to 120 mm in the 24 hours after that, warning of landslides, flooding of low-lying ground and rivers rising or overflowing. Waves with swells of up to 12 m were expected in the Okinawa region and 6 m around Amami, with tide levels running high and a risk of coastal flooding.

Air travel was heavily disrupted. Japan Airlines cancelled many flights at island airports including Naha, Miyako, Tarama, Ishigaki, Yonaguni and Kumejima between 22 and 24 October, and ANA cancelled all of its Miyako and Ishigaki flights on 23 October. China Airlines and Tigerair Taiwan also cancelled services between Taiwan and Okinawa.

JMA expected the storm to weaken as it turned north into the East China Sea, easing to a severe tropical storm by 24 October, approaching Kyushu around 26 October and becoming an extratropical low south of Honshu on 27 October.

On the islands, stay inside a sturdy building and away from windows while winds are strong, and keep off seafronts, piers and breakwaters: swells arrive well before and persist after the storm's closest approach. Flights and ferries in the Okinawa islands can be cancelled at short notice, so sign up for airline alerts, leave a spare day before onward connections, and keep drinking water, food and a charged power bank in case of power cuts.

More than 600 protests are planned across France on Saturday 24 October, French media reported on 23 October, a week after cost-of-living demonstrations on 17 October drew between 550,000 and 800,000 people and ended in looting and clashes with police in several cities.

Authorities have banned or restricted many of Saturday's gatherings. Lyon banned all protests for the day, and Grenoble, Rouen, Le Havre and Toulon banned protests in their city centres. In Paris a march through more central districts was banned, while a CGT union march in the east of the city, from Bastille to Nation, was allowed to go ahead. President Emmanuel Macron said only union-organised demonstrations would be authorised nationwide and that the priority was "a return to calm".

About 60,000 police and gendarmes were deployed on 17 October, and junior interior minister Jean-Didier Berger said numbers would be roughly 20% higher for Saturday, with Sentinelle soldiers and specialist units also mobilised. Justice minister Gérald Darmanin said on 21 October that 2,500 people had been arrested since the previous weekend, 174 of them jailed and more than 900 facing prosecution. In Lyon, between 200 and 300 shops were looted and the tourist office was set on fire.

Curfews have been in place in several city centres since Monday 19 October. They are decided locally, can be imposed at short notice and restrict gatherings and movement. A U.S. Embassy security alert issued on 22 October advised avoiding demonstrations, large crowds and areas of heavy police activity, and noted protests planned for 24 October, including marches in Orléans on 24 and 25 October.

If you are in France this weekend, check the prefecture website for the city you are in for current bans and curfew hours, and expect closures around march routes and in shopping streets. Avoid demonstrations even when they look peaceful: tear gas and sudden crowd movements are the main risks to bystanders. Carry your ID, keep your accommodation address written down, and allow extra time for journeys to airports and stations.

Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said in its 6am update on Friday 23 October that flooding affected 1,131,401 people in 375,726 households across 16 provinces and two Bangkok districts, Lat Krabang and Nong Chok. The agency reported 64 deaths.

Measured by households affected, the worst-hit areas were Bangkok (168,203), Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (66,825 across 11 districts), Suphan Buri (24,619) and Nakhon Nayok (23,835). Most of the deaths were in Prachin Buri (26), followed by Samut Prakan (9) and Chachoengsao (8).

DDPM director-general Nirat Pongsitthithaworn attributed the flooding to heavy to very heavy rainfall, compounded by water flowing south from the north and adding to water already standing in the central region. He said disaster-response machinery and equipment had been deployed and instructed provincial offices to speed up damage assessments and recovery where conditions were improving.

The 6am update reported falling water levels in every area listed, although residents were still dealing with floodwater. The DDPM said it was monitoring weather and water conditions closely.

If you are travelling in the central provinces, including the temple sites at Ayutthaya, check with your hotel or tour operator before setting out: access roads can stay flooded after river levels drop. Do not walk or drive through floodwater, which hides open drains and manholes and may be contaminated or carry a live electrical current, and follow DDPM announcements and instructions from local authorities.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned of a severe heatwave affecting parts of southern and eastern Tasmania from Wednesday 21 October to Friday 23 October. Hobart reached about 29 °C on Monday 19 October and 30.4 °C on Tuesday 20 October, its hottest October day in nine years, against an October average maximum of 17 °C. Weatherzone noted that two 30 °C days in a single October would be only the third such spell in 145 years of Hobart records, and that a run of eight consecutive days above 20 °C would set a new October record.

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service announced on Friday that campfires, pot fires and other solid-fuel stoves will be banned in national parks and reserves across 20 municipalities from 2 a.m. on Monday 26 October. The list includes Hobart, Launceston, Huon Valley, Kingborough with Bruny Island, Glamorgan-Spring Bay with Maria Island, Break O'Day and the Central Highlands. Gas stoves and gas barbecues are still allowed. Acting State Fire Manager Robyn Allchin said much of eastern Tasmania is currently experiencing dry conditions; the service recorded 245 illegal campfires last year, 42 of them left unattended and still burning.

Earlier in the week the Tasmania Fire Service warned of elevated fire danger across large parts of the state, particularly the East Coast and Midlands districts, with strike teams and firefighting aircraft on standby. A cold front and rain are expected over the weekend, and some models show snow on higher parts of central and western Tasmania early next week.

The Bureau notes that severe heat is dangerous for older people, babies and children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and anyone unwell or with a medical condition. Tasmanian accommodation often has no air conditioning, so plan walks for early morning, carry more water than you would at home and keep rooms shaded during the day.

If you are camping or walking the Overland Track and similar routes, cook on gas rather than a fire, check the Tasmania Fire Service rating before setting out, and be ready for the swing to cold, wet and possibly snowy weather within days.

In Hurricane, in far south-western Utah, reddish-brown floodwater ran into and around about 80 homes in one neighbourhood and 50 recreational vehicles in an RV park on Thursday 22 October, the Associated Press reported. A shipping container was seen drifting down a street, and one resident described trucks with water up to the windscreen. The city declared a state of emergency.

In southern Colorado, rising water prompted mandatory evacuations of low-lying areas along four rivers, among them the San Juan through Pagosa Springs. Town manager David Harris said the river was expected to crest about 30 cm higher than last year's flood, with rivers cresting on Friday morning after the rain tapered off overnight. Harris also said people had been whitewater rafting in the floodwaters, which worried emergency crews already stretched thin.

The National Weather Service suspects at least three tornadoes touched down across central Arizona late on Wednesday, blowing roofs off buildings, knocking trees onto houses and downing power lines. At least one person was injured. Damage in Overgaard, a community of about 3,000 people roughly 225 km north-east of Phoenix, included the roof of Overgaard Baptist Church, where congregants sheltered in a concrete-walled bathroom.

Kate Abbott, a Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction, Colorado, said the ground is saturated and that this is the third or fourth round of such moisture in as many weeks. Two months of heavy rain have followed a summer of drought, with one tropical system after another arriving from the Pacific.

For travellers in the Four Corners region, the hazard is flash flooding in slot canyons, washes and dry creek beds, which fill within minutes from rain falling far upstream. Never drive into water across a road, however shallow it looks, and never camp in a wash. Check park and highway alerts the morning you travel, since closures in Zion, the Grand Canyon area and on rural Colorado and Utah roads can change hour to hour, and do not go into floodwater for recreation.

Taiwan's transport ministry said more than 600 flights were cancelled for Friday 23 October, including all 262 domestic services and more than 350 international ones. Schools and offices were shut across almost all of Taiwan, with Kinmen the exception, financial markets were closed, and Taipei's metro ran a reduced service. Taiwan issued a land warning on Thursday.

The Central Weather Administration put the weakening storm about 330 km east of Taiwan's southern tip on Friday, with gusts of around 191 km/h near the centre and a storm radius of about 320 km. Forecasters expected the track to pass just off north-eastern Taiwan rather than make landfall, with nearly a metre of rain possible in northern mountain areas, including the hills near Taipei. Coastal towns were sent mobile alerts for waves above 6 m. As of Thursday the interior ministry had reported no evacuations of residents.

In Japan, Japan Airlines, ANA and Skymark cancelled more than 100 mostly domestic flights between Thursday and Sunday, affecting more than 11,000 passengers. Champi is forecast to pass over Yonaguni in Okinawa Prefecture, then turn north, with some models suggesting a later risk to Kyushu. The storm peaked earlier in the week as a super typhoon, tying the strongest winds recorded anywhere in 2026, and has since weakened.

If you are flying to or from Taiwan, Okinawa or southern Japan this weekend, check your airline directly before going to the airport, and expect knock-on delays for a day or two after the storm clears. Rebooking is usually free during a typhoon, but seats fill fast.

On the ground, stay away from seafronts, breakwaters and river mouths: most typhoon deaths in the region come from waves, flooded underpasses and landslides rather than wind. Mountain roads in northern Taiwan close without much notice after heavy rain, so postpone hiking plans and keep a day's food and water in your room.

The protests took place on Thursday 22 October in the capital Caracas and in cities including Valencia, Maracay, San Cristóbal and Maracaibo, Reuters reported. They were organised by Vente Venezuela, the movement of Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, and were the first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years. Demonstrators demanded free elections and the release of people they say are held for political reasons.

The ruling Socialist Party called its own march the same day, from Plaza Venezuela in Caracas towards a site near the presidential palace. The opposition had planned to gather at the same square two hours later and moved to a nearby location instead. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello was shown on state television attending the government march. Reuters reported no violence or arrests at either event.

No date has been set for a presidential or legislative election. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has said elections will be held, and Machado, who has been outside the country for nearly a year, says they must take place by July 2027. The rights group Foro Penal says more than 320 political prisoners remain in Venezuela despite releases under an amnesty law passed earlier this year. The government denies holding political prisoners.

Rival marches converging on the same part of central Caracas is the main risk here: crowds that are calm can turn quickly when two groups meet, and Venezuelan security forces have used force against protesters in the past. Avoid Plaza Venezuela, the area around Miraflores palace and any gathering, even a peaceful-looking one, and do not film police or marchers.

Allow extra time for airport transfers on protest days, keep your passport and a copy separate, and expect patchy mobile data and cash shortages. Register with your embassy and follow its alerts, since protest calls in Venezuela are often announced only a day or two ahead.

The quake hit at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday 22 October in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of northern Tibet, China. The United States Geological Survey put the epicentre about 191 km east-north-east of Nagqu, which is itself more than 300 km north of Lhasa, and the depth at 18 km; the China Earthquake Networks Center gave a depth of 10 km. Chinese state media reported at least 16 people killed, with 11 of the injured in serious condition.

The Nagqu city media office said at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. More than 1,600 people from the local county were deployed for rescue work, and 1,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights and winter clothing were sent to the area. Police and fire crews were putting up tents for people whose homes were destroyed.

State broadcaster CCTV described it as the biggest earthquake in the region in the last five years. Reported injury totals varied between outlets in the first hours, so figures other than the death toll should be treated as provisional.

Travellers in Tibet and Qinghai should expect aftershocks, which can bring down already weakened buildings. Nights on the plateau are well below freezing in late October, so anyone displaced needs warm shelter quickly. Roads in the area are few and may be blocked by rockfall or diverted for relief convoys, so check with your operator before setting out and keep flexible plans. Lhasa and the usual visitor circuit are several hundred kilometres from the epicentre and were not reported damaged.

Heavy rain set in across south-east Queensland overnight into Thursday 22 October 2026. Almost 140 mm fell in the three hours to 7:30 am at Caboolture, north of Brisbane, where more than 150 mm has now been recorded. Eatons Hill recorded 106 mm and the Brisbane CBD almost 50 mm. Flooding closed multiple roads in the Caboolture region, put roads under water at Rocklea, and sent floodwater into Morayfield Shopping Centre.

Several people were rescued from floodwaters overnight. Deputy Police Commissioner Chris Stream said the rescues were carried out by members of the public in two separate incidents, and that police were taking a large number of calls about people driving into floodwater. A watch-and-act warning to prepare to leave was issued for parts of Burpengary and Burpengary East. Two state schools and six independent schools around Caboolture and Morayfield have said they will close on Friday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall and flash flooding covering Brisbane, Caboolture, Ipswich, Jimboomba, Boonah and Springbrook. Senior forecaster Angus Hines called the storm very dangerous and said it had brought incredible amounts of rainfall over about three hours, with Brisbane's western suburbs and Ipswich at risk later in the morning. About 100 mm fell at Canungra in the Scenic Rim over 24 hours. In the state's south-west, minor flood warnings are current for the Barcoo, Bulloo and Warrego rivers.

Flash flooding gives very little warning, so if you are travelling in the region, know the ground around you and plan an alternative route before you set out. Never drive, ride or walk into floodwater, however shallow it looks — the rescues so far have involved people who entered it. Move vehicles off low ground, skip creek crossings and hinterland day trips around the Scenic Rim while warnings are current, and check the Bureau of Meteorology and local council updates before heading out, as more storms are forecast over the coming days.

Strong currents swept several tourists out to sea while they were bathing at Himchari beach, south of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, at around 5:30 pm local time on Wednesday 21 October 2026. The incident happened on the stretch of beach near the museum at Himchari Marina Resort. Bystanders recovered three bodies and pulled one tourist from the water in a critical condition.

SI Solaiman, in charge of the Himchari police outpost, said several tourists had gone swimming near the museum when strong currents swept them away, and that at least two others remained missing. Mahbub Alam, a beach worker deployed by the Cox's Bazar district administration, confirmed the rescue. Lifeguards and the Fire Service launched a search and rescue operation for the missing tourists. Their identities had not been confirmed.

The Cox's Bazar coastline is one of Bangladesh's busiest holiday destinations, and the district administration deploys beach workers and lifeguards along parts of it. Himchari lies on the quieter stretch south of the main town beaches, where cover is thinner.

If you are visiting this coast, swim only where lifeguards are on duty and stay between the marked flags; the scenic but unpatrolled stretches are the ones to avoid for swimming. If a current pulls you out, do not try to swim back against it — float, raise an arm to signal for help, and swim parallel to the beach until you are free of the pull before heading in. Stay out of the water altogether after heavy rain or when the sea is rough, and never swim alone or after drinking.

Nigeria reported its first case of the current Ebola outbreak on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The patient is a foreign national who entered Nigeria on 5 October, and Nigerian authorities linked the case to a traveller who arrived from Uganda earlier in the month. Uganda, which declared itself Ebola-free in July after recording 20 cases, has denied that the case originated there.

Odianosen Ehiakhamen, an assistant director at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, said the patient was initially treated for malaria symptoms but failed to recover, which raised suspicions among the attending doctors. Authorities are tracing 44 contacts, mostly healthcare workers but also the patient's spouse, a Swiss national.

Africa CDC director general Dr Jean Kaseya has invited African health ministers to an extraordinary virtual meeting on 28 October, writing that Ebola is now affecting three regions of Africa and that the situation demands urgent action and political leadership at the highest level. The outbreak was first detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026 after spreading undetected for months, and has infected more than 9,500 people and killed nearly half of them, making it the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. The strain is Bundibugyo, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. Kenya has recorded nine cases and France one, and health authorities in North Kivu say the disease is out of control there.

The World Health Organization has advised all countries in the region to sustain a high level of readiness as the DRC outbreak continues to evolve. Travellers to or from affected countries should expect health screening on exit and entry, and possible delays. Avoid contact with anyone who is unwell, stay away from funerals and burial rites, do not handle bushmeat or come into contact with bats and primates, and wash your hands often. If you develop a fever or other symptoms within 21 days of travel, call a doctor or health line before going in person, and say where you have been.

Earth Sciences New Zealand raised the Volcanic Alert Level at Whakaari/White Island from 2 to 3 on Wednesday 21 October 2026, signalling a minor volcanic eruption, and moved the Aviation Colour Code from yellow to orange. Scientists confirmed the change after an observation flight over the island on Tuesday afternoon. The volcano is continuously emitting small amounts of ash in a weak column of steam and gas, with no evidence that an explosive eruption has occurred.

Duty volcanologist Michael Rosenberg said the ash emission is passive and low energy, but that volcanic activity could escalate with little or no warning. Vent gas temperatures climbed from about 100 °C to about 395 °C in a week, and satellites have detected sulphur dioxide every day. Sudden, more explosive events can throw rocks across the Main Crater floor and produce ash and gas surges that threaten life on the crater floor and the area immediately offshore to the south-east of the island.

Whakaari sits about 48 km off the Bay of Plenty coast from Whakatāne. The island has no working monitoring instruments, so scientists rely on mainland observations, satellite data and occasional observation flights, with extra information from MetService. Rosenberg said the activity is typical of the volcano's eruptive cycles and, based on episodes over the past 30 years, could continue for weeks. The December 2019 eruption at Whakaari killed 22 people, most of them tourists visiting the island.

There have been no reports of ash affecting the mainland, though people may smell sulphur gases during onshore winds and notice some ash particles. If you are travelling in the Bay of Plenty, treat any boat or flight tour near the island with care and follow official and operator guidance; MetService's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre is continuing to assess the impact on aviation. Anyone with a respiratory condition should keep their usual medication to hand while onshore winds last.

Shortly before 6 a.m. on Tuesday 20 October, after warning protesters that the camps were illegal, police launched coordinated operations in both cities. Officers cleared Rossio square in central Lisbon, while in Porto the protesters took down their own tents. Fifty-five people were arrested and later released pending a court appearance in Lisbon on Wednesday. Activists had occupied Rossio since Saturday with around 200 tents, and Porto's Dom João I square for about ten days.

Public Security Police superintendent Sérgio Soares told reporters the eviction had been "calm, proportionate and appropriate, with no police charge". Carla Valadão, a spokesperson for the Lisbon camp, described the operation as "very aggressive". By Tuesday evening thousands had returned: organisers said more than 1,000 people gathered in each square, though police gave no crowd estimate, and a popular assembly in Lisbon voted to go back to Rossio and pitch tents again on Wednesday.

The camps are part of a wider protest over housing costs. Purchase prices in Portugal have more than doubled since 2017 and rents on new leases have nearly doubled. Protesters want the centre-right government to withdraw a bill that would make evictions easier and end rent caps on new leases, which has passed a first parliamentary reading. Opposition to mass tourism and to digital nomads in the big cities is part of the same campaign.

Rossio and Dom João I are both busy central squares on the main tourist routes, so visitors to Lisbon and Porto should expect crowds, police operations and possible short-notice closures of streets, metro entrances and tram stops around them over the coming days. Demonstrations in Portugal are generally peaceful, but it is worth walking around a gathering rather than through it, keeping valuables out of sight in dense crowds, allowing extra time to reach stations and airports, and following instructions from the police on the spot.

Figures from Ecuador's risk management agency SNGR, cited by Ecuadorian outlets, put the number of people affected at 23,167 as of 19 October — 21,522 affected and 1,645 left homeless — with a later SNGR update giving 23,666. Esmeraldas province accounts for 17,243 of those affected, followed by Guayas with 2,703 and Los Ríos with 1,724, spread across 18 provinces in all. The agency has logged 5,511 damaged homes in 17 provinces and 19 destroyed, along with 217 floods, 78 landslides and seven aluviones since the rains began.

Two of the three deaths came in a landslide in the early hours of Sunday 18 October at the Bella Rica sector of Camilo Ponce Enríquez canton, Azuay province, where a slope collapsed onto a house at a mining camp while workers were resting inside. Firefighters recovered the bodies of a woman aged 56 and a man aged 24. The third death reported was a woman swept away by the Calichana river in Pasaje, El Oro province.

The SNGR has held a red alert since 29 August, tied to El Niño. As of its 20 October bulletin, seven rivers and streams were overflowing in Guayas, El Oro and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. In Tendales parish, El Guabo canton (El Oro), the Chaguana river broke out after a retaining wall collapsed, about 900 people from four neighbourhoods were evacuated and six schools took on water. One bridge has collapsed, eight more are damaged and roughly 13 km of road is affected. Quito's emergency committee has an advisory running to 22:00 on Thursday 22 October, and the weather service Inamhi expects rain through Thursday under its Meteorological Warning No. 81.

Travellers heading to coastal Ecuador should expect road closures and detours, and check with their operator before setting out between Guayaquil, Machala and Esmeraldas. Never drive or walk through moving floodwater — it hides washed-out road and collapsed culverts — and avoid camping or staying overnight below steep, cleared or mined slopes while the ground is saturated, as the Azuay landslide struck at night without warning. Keep drinking water bottled or boiled where supply stations have been shut.

The Weather Prediction Center has placed the coastal ranges north of Point Conception, the western Transverse Ranges and the Los Angeles metro area under a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall from 12:00 UTC on Wednesday 21 October to 12:00 UTC on Thursday 22 October, with heavy rain and severe thunderstorms forecast across the Southwest from 21 to 23 October. The moisture is drawn from the remains of Tropical Storm Trudy.

NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard expects totals near 25 mm (1 inch) across most coastal and valley areas and about 51 mm (2 inches) on favoured south-facing slopes, with peak rates near 19 mm/h. The WPC warns of localized rates around 51 mm/h, rising to 64 mm/h where storms train or repeatedly rebuild over terrain in Arizona, New Mexico and the Four Corners. Around Phoenix, foothills and higher ground to the north and east may see 38–64 mm, while the lower deserts average below 25 mm.

The Storm Prediction Center has parts of central and eastern Arizona under a Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, with supercells developing by late afternoon that could bring damaging winds and severe hail, and one or two tornadoes possible. Forecasters single out urban areas, wildfire burn scars, slot and box canyons, dry washes and arroyos as the places most exposed to sudden runoff.

If you are driving in Southern California or Arizona this week, do not enter a flooded road, wash or arroyo — most flood deaths in the Southwest happen in vehicles, and a dry wash can fill within minutes from rain falling kilometres away. Hikers should stay out of slot canyons and narrow drainages on Wednesday and Thursday, keep off recent burn scars where debris flows start, and allow extra time on mountain and desert roads. Watch for hail and sudden visibility loss if thunderstorms build over central Arizona in the afternoon.

The woman was swimming alongside several other beachgoers at 08:07 on Tuesday 20 October when the attack happened off Orient Beach in KuGompo City, the Eastern Cape city formerly known as East London. She suffered serious injuries to her right arm and leg, and died at the scene despite emergency care from paramedics and onlookers. No shark species has been identified.

Orient Beach and Eastern Beach have been closed until further notice. Buffalo City Metro told beachgoers to stay out of the water at both beaches and issued a warning for other beaches in the area, urging the public to stay vigilant and follow instructions from the authorities. Municipal officials remained at the scene, and the police have opened an inquest docket after the woman was transferred to the State Forensic Pathology Services.

Fatal attacks on this stretch of coast are rare. Marine biologists cited in reporting on the attack say South Africa's great white sharks have shifted eastward in recent years towards Algoa Bay and Eastern Cape coastal waters, which they attribute to predation by orcas, reduced prey from commercial longline fishing, and coastal shark nets further west.

If you are visiting the Eastern Cape coast, check whether a beach is open before you go in and swim only at beaches with lifeguards on duty, between the flags. Avoid swimming at dawn, dusk or in murky water, stay out of the sea near river mouths, bait balls or seal colonies, and do not swim alone. Follow any closure notice from Buffalo City Metro, even if the water looks calm.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in northern Vanuatu at 04:20 UTC on Tuesday 20 October 2026, at a depth of 16 km. The epicentre was about 200 km north-west of Port-Olry, 210 km west of Sola, 240 km north-west of Luganville and 510 km north-west of Port-Vila. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre also measured the quake at magnitude 6.3 but put its depth at 5 km.

The NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported at 04:29 UTC that there was no tsunami threat from the earthquake. The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses, meaning casualties and damage are unlikely. No damage or injuries had been reported.

It was the second magnitude 6 or above earthquake in the same part of Vanuatu in two days, following a magnitude 6.0 event at 07:49 UTC on 19 October. The USGS notes that buildings in this region are highly vulnerable to shaking, with wood and other light construction predominant, and that past earthquakes nearby have triggered landslides.

If you are travelling in Vanuatu, expect aftershocks and know the drill: drop, cover and hold on until shaking stops. On the coast, strong or long shaking is itself the warning — move inland or to high ground straight away rather than waiting for an official alert. After a quake, check with operators and local authorities before driving rural roads on Espiritu Santo and the northern islands, where slips and rockfall are the main risk.

The U.S. Embassy in France issued a security alert on Monday, 19 October, reporting that the prime minister's office had introduced partial curfews for Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 October in several cities across France, including Lille. The alert followed protests on Saturday 17 October that turned violent.

The embassy said media reported that more curfews may follow for parts of Paris and in prefectures across the country, and that scattered protests could continue. It warned of Métro station closures and other traffic interruptions, directed travellers to the RATP website for updates, and advised verifying flight schedules with carriers.

Its advice to U.S. citizens was to avoid the areas of demonstrations, exercise caution if unexpectedly near large gatherings, plan alternative routes and allow extra travel time. The U.S. travel advisory for France remains at Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of terrorism and civil unrest.

Curfew hours and the full list of affected cities were not given in the alert. Curfews in France are ordered locally by prefectures, so the hours and the area covered can differ from one city to the next and can change from day to day.

Check the prefecture website and local news for your city each morning before making evening plans, and carry your accommodation address in case you are stopped during curfew hours. Give demonstrations and police lines a wide berth, including ones that look peaceful, and avoid filming at close range. Expect Métro and bus closures at short notice: leave extra time for airport and station transfers and confirm flights and trains directly with the operator rather than relying on timetables. France 24, RFI and The Local publish English-language updates, and your own embassy may offer an alert service worth registering for.

Storms that began on Sunday night, 18 October, flooded towns across eastern Spain and had killed at least four people by Monday, 19 October, AFP reported. Valencia's regional president, Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca, confirmed three deaths in his region: a 79-year-old woman found in her home in the coastal resort of Oliva, a man who suffered a fatal heart attack at a campsite there, and a man who drowned while swimming at a beach in Sagunto. Catalan firefighters reported a fourth death, a woman who fell into a rain-swollen stream.

Some areas of the Valencia region recorded as much as 700 litres of rain per square metre — 700 mm — in just 24 hours. Emergency services carried out more than 400 rescues by air and land, according to central government representative Pilar Bernabé, with some residents airlifted after taking refuge on rooftops. Floodwaters swept away parked cars and submerged roads.

About 100 municipalities were ordered to stay indoors for several hours, and most of those restrictions were lifted by early Monday afternoon. Spain's military emergency unit joined the response and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged full support, saying rescue work was continuing in areas that are hard to reach. Valencia's emergency chief, Juan Carlos Valderrama, said road travel was impossible and people should stay at home.

The provinces of Valencia and Alicante were worst affected. Autumn storm systems over the western Mediterranean regularly drop a large share of the year's rain on this coast within a few hours, which is why dry riverbeds and ravines here can fill without warning.

If you are travelling in eastern Spain this week, check AEMET warnings and regional civil-protection alerts before you set out, and follow any order to stay indoors. Never drive or walk into floodwater, however shallow it looks, and turn around rather than crossing a flooded road or ford. Stay out of underground car parks and basements, keep away from riverbeds, ravines and gullies even in dry weather, and move upstairs rather than down if water rises. Keep off beaches, promenades and coastal paths during and just after the storm.

Kenya's Health Director-General Patrick Amoth said on Monday, 19 October, that of 38 people tested the previous day one had returned a positive result, bringing Kenya's confirmed Ebola cases to eight. The patient is a 49-year-old man who worked as a patient attendant cleaning utensils and linen. He developed fever, headache and muscle pain on Saturday, was quarantined and tested, and was most likely exposed to Kenya's first case.

That first patient had travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Nairobi and died in a Nairobi hospital on 5 October. On Saturday 17 October the ministry reported four further cases: three health workers who had treated him, and a fourth person related to him. The Nairobi Hospital has an Ebola isolation facility, and the country is on heightened alert.

The outbreak originates in the DR Congo, where the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment, has caused at least 9,400 cases and more than 4,500 deaths since May. Ituri province is the epicentre, accounting for almost three quarters of confirmed cases, and on Sunday the government said the virus had reached an eighth province, North Ubangi. North Kivu, where the WHO says substantial transmission continues, began a week-long ban on arrivals from Ituri on Monday and suspended large public gatherings.

For context, Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases during this regional outbreak, 15 of them imported from the DR Congo, and two deaths, and was declared Ebola-free in August.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of someone who is sick or has died, not through air or casual contact, so the risk to an ordinary traveller passing through Nairobi is low. Avoid hospitals and clinics unless you need care, do not attend funerals or handle bodies, skip bushmeat, and avoid contact with bats and primates. Wash your hands often. If you develop a fever within three weeks of visiting an affected area, phone ahead before going to a clinic and say where you have been. Check your government's travel advice before you fly, and expect health checks at land borders and airports in the region.

A slowly intensifying low off the U.S. East Coast is driving strong north-easterly winds and several days of coastal flooding, with impacts from Florida to New Jersey on Monday, 19 October. On Florida's Atlantic side, NOAA gauges showed high water at nearly 40 locations statewide, about half a dozen of them at or forecast to reach flood stage. The St. Johns River at Astor, near the Volusia–Lake county line, had reached minor flood stage with moderate flooding expected, and stretches of the St. Marys River on the Florida–Georgia border were also rising.

Forecast models indicated seas approaching 15 feet (about 4.5 m) well offshore, hazardous for smaller vessels, with gusts reaching 45 mph (about 70 km/h) along the immediate coastline. Florida's waterways were already near bankfull after heavy rain from Isaias. Water levels could stay elevated through the full moon, peaking around 27 October, and docks, boat ramps and low-lying roads are the most exposed at high tide.

Further north the storm is biting harder. FOX Weather's Bryan Norcross wrote on Monday that coastal flood alerts covered the coastline and some inland waterways, and that anyone from North Carolina to New Jersey should follow local alerts. Large waves arriving on elevated high tides were expected to bring minor to moderate coastal flooding and beach erosion at least into Wednesday and possibly Thursday, with low-lying roads impassable or washed out. The Outer Banks had already flooded and some communities issued mandatory evacuations for visitors.

The National Hurricane Center has raised the odds that the system picks up enough tropical characteristics to be named, giving it a medium chance of development, though that is not expected until it is moving away from the coast. The low is forecast to turn out to sea late Wednesday, with conditions improving on Thursday and the ocean staying agitated for longer.

If you have a coastal trip booked this week, check tide times before driving and expect causeways and beach access roads to flood around high tide. Do not drive around barriers or through standing salt water, which hides washouts and corrodes vehicles. Stay out of the surf: large, disorganised waves and strong currents are dangerous even for confident swimmers, and lifeguard cover is thin outside the summer season. Keep off jetties, piers and dunes, and watch for undermined walkways and fresh washouts after each high tide.

Two minor phreatic eruptions, driven by steam rather than fresh magma, occurred at the main crater of Taal Volcano in Batangas, the Philippines, on Sunday evening 18 October, at 7:31 p.m. and 7:36 p.m., the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said. The plume rose about 300 m above the main crater lake and was tracked by the Main Crater West Rim and Daang Kastila thermal cameras.

PHIVOLCS also recorded 43 volcanic earthquakes over the day, the highest single-day count at Taal this month, along with 10 episodes of volcanic tremor lasting up to four minutes.

Alert Level 1 remains in force, which PHIVOLCS treats as low-level unrest, but the agency warned that the threat of sudden blasts has not gone away. It repeated that entering Taal Volcano Island, sailing on Taal Lake and flying aircraft near the summit are all strictly prohibited.

Phreatic eruptions are driven by superheated groundwater and can come with little or no warning, which is why the ban on setting foot on the island holds even on days that look calm. Visitors should view the volcano from mainland viewpoints rather than crossing the lake, and should turn down any boat or guided crater trip offered at the lakeshore, however routine it sounds. Check the PHIVOLCS bulletin on the morning of a visit, and if you have asthma or another breathing condition, be ready for ashfall and volcanic smog should the wind turn your way.

Champi was 2,000 km east of southeastern Luzon at 5 p.m. on Sunday 18 October, moving west at 20 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gusts to 230 km/h, the Philippine state weather agency PAGASA said. It is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Tuesday 20 October, where it will be given the local name Rosal.

PAGASA said the highest wind signal likely for this storm is No. 3 or 4. Signals could go up over the northern and eastern parts of northern Luzon and the eastern side of the Bicol Region, particularly Catanduanes, as early as Monday evening or Tuesday morning, and a gale warning for the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon may follow on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Forecaster Grace Castaneda-Carpio said the closest approach to the country is expected on Friday. Heavy rain could reach Cagayan and the far north from Wednesday evening and peak on Thursday and Friday over Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao and Ilocos Norte, where PAGASA warned it could set off flooding and landslides.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said a sea warning could be issued as early as Wednesday night, with a land warning possibly on Thursday night or Friday. It expects the heaviest impact on Friday and Saturday, with heavy rain for central and northern Taiwan and for Yilan and Hualien counties. The track is still uncertain: models disagree on whether Champi turns north before Taiwan, crosses the island's east coast, or passes south through the Bashi Channel.

Champi passed about 16 km south of Merizo, Guam, early on Sunday and briefly reached super typhoon strength. Guam Power Authority reported that only about half the island's distribution circuits were online at the worst point, a surface water treatment plant shut down after river flooding, and public schools closed on Monday for inspections.

Travellers with plans in northern Luzon, Batanes or eastern Taiwan later this week should expect flight and ferry cancellations and build a spare day into their itinerary. Check the PAGASA and CWA bulletins each morning rather than a general forecast app, stay off beaches and out of small boats once gale warnings are up, keep away from rivers and steep slopes if heavy rain arrives, and follow local evacuation instructions without waiting for a second warning.

Episode 55 began at 3:19 a.m. HST on Saturday 17 October in Halemaʻumaʻu, at Kīlauea's summit on Hawaii's Big Island, and ended abruptly at 9:03 a.m. the same day after 5.7 hours of fountaining, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported. The tallest fountain reached about 220 m (720 ft) above ground level from the north vent, and the plume topped out near 7,500 m (25,000 ft) above sea level. Tephra fell mostly inside the closed part of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, southwest of the active vents.

HVO keeps Kīlauea at alert level Advisory with an aviation colour code of Yellow. Summit tiltmeters recorded 21 microradians of deflation during the episode and began reinflating the moment the fountains stopped, recovering 5.4 microradians by Sunday morning. Low-level tremor continues, and the south vent is now buried under tephra that blocks its glow; in the past, vents have taken days to weeks to re-establish themselves after similar burial.

The episodic summit eruption has been running since 23 December 2024, with fountaining episodes usually lasting under 12 hours and separated by pauses of two weeks or more. Episode 55 broke that pattern. It followed 39 days of intermittent overflows, a record for precursory activity, and the summit magma chamber pressurised further than it normally does before fountaining. HVO says the initial reinflation looks like the usual post-episode pattern, but it is less confident than before that episode 56 can be forecast with the precision earlier episodes allowed.

During pauses between episodes, sulphur dioxide output from the summit typically runs between 1,000 and 5,000 tonnes a day. North-easterly winds are currently pushing the gas plume southwest over the Kaʻū Desert.

Visitors should stay on open trails and behind every closure in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park: the eruption itself is inside a closed area, and the crater rim has been shut to the public since late 2007. Volcanic gas stays hazardous downwind even when the vents are quiet, so anyone with asthma, heart or lung conditions, as well as infants and pregnant travellers, should avoid downwind viewpoints when vog is thick. The fine volcanic glass thrown out by fountaining irritates skin, eyes and airways, so cover up and protect your eyes on windy days, and keep well clear of ground cracks.

The South African Weather Service issued a set of warnings for Monday 19 October. A yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms covers most of KwaZulu-Natal, apart from the south coast and the interior next to it, and the storms could damage infrastructure and flood susceptible roads and bridges. A separate yellow level 2 warning for damaging winds covers the eastern parts of the Free State and the western and eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline a yellow level 2 warning for damaging winds and waves runs until Tuesday morning and could disrupt beachfront activities, small harbours and ports. The inland wind warning also runs to Tuesday morning, and the Weather Service said it could cause navigation problems at sea along the coast and difficulty for high-sided vehicles on some routes.

Away from the coast the risk shifts to fire and heat. Extremely high fire conditions are expected over northern KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern Free State and eastern North West, northern Gauteng and the central and south-western parts of Limpopo. A heatwave with persistently high temperatures is forecast for the Mpumalanga Highveld, the southern Mpumalanga Lowveld and the south-western bushveld of Limpopo, and Limpopo's Lowveld and Limpopo Valley will be extremely hot in places. The Western Cape and Eastern Cape stay cool by contrast, with widespread rain and showers in the east and south.

If you are on safari or self-driving in Limpopo, Mpumalanga or northern KwaZulu-Natal, carry more water than you expect to need, keep game drives to early morning and late afternoon, and do not light fires or discard cigarettes, because veld fires spread fast in these conditions. On the KwaZulu-Natal coast, expect rough surf and strong onshore wind into Tuesday, swim only where lifeguards are on duty, and check whether boat and dive trips are still running. Inland, pull over rather than drive through hail or standing water, and never cross a flooded bridge.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) issued the alert on Sunday 18 October for the period 18 to 25 October, covering Bangkok and 35 provinces. The list takes in the southern tourist provinces of Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Trang, Ranong and Satun, the eastern beach provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat, and Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram and Ubon Ratchathani in the northeast. It follows Thai Meteorological Department advisory No. 260/2026, issued at 5 a.m. on 17 October.

The TMD expects persistent rain with isolated heavy to very heavy downpours in the south and east from 18 to 20 October, then rain intensifying from 21 to 25 October across the lower northeast, the central region, Bangkok and nearby provinces, the east and the upper south, with strong wind gusts. The hazards named are flash floods, forest run-off, landslides, standing floodwater and wind damage. Waves could exceed three metres in areas hit by thunderstorms in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, and boats have been told to navigate with care and avoid storm cells.

DDPM director-general Nirat Pongsitthaworn said provincial authorities were instructed to ready emergency response teams and equipment, accelerate drainage in flood-prone areas, prepare temporary shelters with food and drinking water, and restrict public access to caves and waterfalls where hazards develop. The DDPM emergency hotline, 1784, runs around the clock.

The warning lands on an already severe season. Reuters reported that floods had killed 71 people since 16 September and affected 51 provinces as of 12 October, with about 908,000 households hit.

For travellers, the practical steps are simple. Drop waterfall, cave and canyon trips while the warning stands, because water levels there can rise within minutes of rain falling upstream. Do not drive or wade through floodwater of unknown depth. If an island transfer or dive day is booked in the Andaman or the Gulf, confirm it is sailing before heading to the pier and accept cancellations when the swell builds. Leave a buffer day before onward flights, and follow the DDPM and TMD advisories rather than a general weather app.

The avalanche came down a ravine at Laguna del Inca, behind the Hotel Portillo in the commune of Los Andes, Valparaiso Region, at about 2.45 p.m. local time on Saturday 17 October. Chile's national disaster service Senapred said at around 4.50 p.m. that four people had died and four others were hurt, and that it could not rule out more people being missing. Senapred put the number of people caught at eight.

Firefighters, Carabineros police with an air brigade, the SAMU ambulance service, the coordinator of the Cristo Redentor crossing system and regional Senapred staff took part in the rescue. The injured were taken to health centres in the Los Andes area.

The regional presidential delegate for Valparaiso, Manuel Millones, said all those involved were Chilean day visitors rather than hotel guests, and that they had been warned not to enter the sector. The mayor of Los Andes, Manuel Rivera, said the Portillo ski centre was closed for the season and the area is signposted as off limits. A large build-up of snow is reported as the trigger. No specific avalanche alert had been issued, though a regional weather warning was in force.

Portillo sits beside Route 60, the main road between Santiago and Mendoza in Argentina, and the lake is an easy stop for passing travellers. Snow in the Chilean Andes can stay unstable well into spring, and a closed ski area has no patrol, no avalanche control and no marked runs. Respect closure signs, stay on the road and in open ground, and do not walk into gullies or below steep snow slopes without a guide, avalanche equipment and a current forecast.

The National Weather Service office in Newport/Morehead City upgraded its coastal flood watches to a Coastal Flood Warning for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on Saturday 17 October. A Wind Advisory replaced an earlier High Wind Watch for the Outer Banks, mainland Dare and Hyde counties and Carteret County, and Gale Warnings were in force for the coastal waters, sounds and rivers.

Forecasters expect 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 m) of inundation above ground level in vulnerable oceanside areas, and 1 to 3 feet (0.3 to 0.9 m) along parts of the northern Outer Banks, with the worst flooding on the Sunday and Monday high tides. Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph (72 to 89 km/h) are forecast along the coast, with offshore waves of 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 m) near Diamond Shoals and Cape Hatteras and 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 m) in Pamlico Sound.

Dare County's mandatory evacuation order for Hatteras Island visitors, issued on Friday 16 October, remains in effect; residents have not been ordered out. The National Park Service closed campgrounds, off-road vehicle ramps and visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and the Wright Brothers National Memorial by midday Saturday. The weather service told people on Hatteras and Ocracoke to prepare for the possibility of being stranded for several days.

Repeated ocean overwash is expected to close stretches of N.C. Highway 12, the only road down the islands, and ferry sailings may be disrupted into next week; a late-September nor'easter cut road access for about five days. If you are booked on Hatteras or Ocracoke, leave while the road is open rather than waiting. Do not drive through salt water on N.C. 12, stay off the beach and out of the surf, and check DriveNC.gov and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore notices before setting out.

AEMET issued a red warning, its highest level, for the southern coast of Valencia province and the northern coast of Alicante, starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday 18 October. El Debate reported that it was expected to stay in force at least until 10 a.m. on Monday 19 October. The forecast is for more than 200 litres per square metre (200 mm) of rain in 12 hours, and up to 300 l/m2 in 24 hours at some points. Towns in the red zone include Gandia, Oliva, Pego and Denia.

Orange warnings cover the southern Alicante coast and, from Saturday night, the northern Valencia coast and southern inland Valencia. Yellow warnings for rain, storms, wind and coastal conditions apply across Castellon, Valencia and Alicante. The system is a DANA, an isolated upper-level low, and is the first of the season to be given a name.

The Valencian government's emergency coordination centre sent two ES-Alert messages to mobile phones on Saturday afternoon. Civil Protection asked people to avoid travel between 10 a.m. and midnight on Sunday, warning that secondary roads and dry ravines are especially dangerous. Valencia city closed its parks, gardens, libraries and municipal cemeteries, and sporting and cultural events across the region were called off. Heavy rain had already flooded streets in El Ejido, in Almeria province, earlier on Saturday.

The warning covers a stretch of coast that was hit by a catastrophic DANA in October 2024. If you are on the Costa Blanca or in the Valencia area, change travel plans rather than drive on Sunday, and expect trains, coaches and some flights to be affected. Never drive or walk into a flooded underpass or a rambla, which can fill in minutes, move your car off low ground and out of underground garages, and stay on upper floors if water rises. Keep phone alerts switched on and call 112 in an emergency.

The Orange County Fire Authority said the Norte Fire broke out around 11.30 a.m. local time on Friday 16 October near Portico Del Norte in San Clemente and spread into neighbouring San Juan Capistrano. By Friday night it had burned 570 acres (about 230 hectares) and was 0% contained. The authority confirmed six homes damaged or destroyed, most of them believed to be on the San Juan Capistrano side.

Evacuation orders run from Interstate 5 in the south to La Pata Avenue in the north, and from Descanso Park in the west to Foster Ranch in the east — about 4,600 homes and 16,000 residents, according to OCFA Fire Chief TJ McGovern. Evacuation centres opened at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center and the San Clemente Community Center, with an overnight shelter for people and animals at the Boys and Girls Club in San Juan Capistrano. The authority said 400 firefighters were on scene with 400 more on the way, backed by water-dropping aircraft. Two firefighters were taken to hospital, one with mild heat exhaustion and one with injuries described as significant but stable. Capistrano Unified School District dismissed ten schools early and cancelled sports and after-school programmes.

The fire was driven by strong Santa Ana winds and high heat. Red flag warnings were in effect for Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Antelope Valley foothills through Saturday night. Orange County Supervisor Vice Chair Katrina Foley urged people in the area to leave rather than watch.

If you are staying on this stretch of the southern Orange County coast, check the CAL FIRE incident page and the OCFA for the current evacuation zones before moving, and leave as soon as an order covers your address. Santa Ana wind events can push a fire across a canyon in minutes, so do not rely on seeing flames before you go. Keep car windows closed and air recirculating in smoke, avoid the closed area even to collect belongings, and expect Interstate 5 and local roads to be congested while crews work.

The Fiji Meteorological Service, acting as the regional specialised meteorological centre for the South Pacific, named Tropical Cyclone Wati on the morning of Saturday 17 October. It developed from Tropical Depression 01F and is the first tropical cyclone of the 2026-27 South Pacific season, which officially starts on 1 November.

The system was moving southeast towards the Cook Islands and was forecast to strengthen further. New Zealand forecaster WeatherWatch said Wati was a Category 1 at the time of its Saturday update and would likely climb to at least Category 2, and that it would move through the southern Cook Islands with Aitutaki on the track; its modelling put Rarotonga nearer the outer edge of the damaging part of the storm. New Zealand's NIWA said Wati could bring heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas to parts of the Pacific, including the Cook Islands.

The Fiji Meteorological Service said it would keep tracking the system and issue updates as needed. Fiji itself is not expected to be directly affected at this stage. Communities in the Cook Islands along the forecast track were urged to stay alert and follow advisories from their own meteorological service and emergency management authorities.

If you are travelling in the southern Cook Islands, check the Cook Islands Meteorological Service for the current warning before moving between islands, and expect inter-island flights and lagoon trips to be cancelled at short notice. Stay away from the reef and the beach while the swell is up, fill water containers and charge phones before the weather arrives, and follow your accommodation's instructions rather than making your own plan.

Winter Garden police said the man was fishing from the shore of Lake Apopka at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, about 24 km (15 miles) northwest of Orlando, when an alligator pulled him into the water at around 5 p.m. on Friday 16 October. He was named as Steven Hamilton, of Winter Garden. Other active alligators in the water complicated the response, and his body was recovered about two hours later.

Trappers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) captured and killed the animal, which was nearly 12 feet (3.7 m) long. The police department and the FWC have opened a joint investigation. Officers said nobody had reported an alligator near the shore beforehand.

It is the second fatal alligator attack reported in Florida this year. In June a 31-year-old woman, Brittany Clark, was killed by a 13-foot alligator near her home in Oviedo. State figures count 34 people killed by alligators in Florida since 1948.

Lake Apopka, like most central Florida lakes, holds a large alligator population, and the animals are very hard to see from the bank. Stay several metres back from the water at freshwater lakes, ponds and canals, avoid the shoreline at dusk and after dark when alligators are most active, keep dogs leashed and away from the edge, and never feed them. "Keep your distance," Winter Garden police Capt. Michael Mason said. "It looks like it's docile, it looks like your Florida emblem, but it can be dangerous."

In its daily update on Friday 16 October, the US Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said multiple overflows from the south vent in Halemaʻumaʻu began at 10.16 p.m. Hawaii time on Thursday. Fifteen of them lasted less than five minutes and advanced under 30 m from the vent. At 5.10 a.m. a high-volume overflow coated the whole area within 100 m of the vent with pāhoehoe in ten minutes, and further overflows that started at 5.56 a.m. were still running when the update was issued. A small dome fountain inside the vent was feeding channels of lava extending about a kilometre from it, and spatter was seen at all three vents overnight.

Kīlauea stays at volcano alert level Watch with aviation colour code Orange. Irregular tremor bursts gave way to more continuous tremor around 6 a.m., about when the south vent became continuously active. Twenty-one earthquakes were recorded over the previous day, mostly in the southern and eastern parts of the summit region, and summit tiltmeters have shown a slight inflationary trend since Wednesday. Between eruptive episodes the summit typically releases 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide a day, and gas plumes are visible from the vents on daytime webcams.

Kīlauea erupted episodically from 23 December 2024 to 25 August 2026, with lava fountaining episodes generally shorter than 12 hours separated by pauses of two or more weeks. Ground deformation since the 54th episode has been irregular, and the observatory says the magma chamber beneath Halemaʻumaʻu is now pressurised beyond the level usually seen before a fountaining episode. Friday's vigorous overflows show magma remains very close to the surface. Another fountaining episode, an intrusion beneath the caldera, or a quieter eruption through existing cracks in the summit region are all considered possible.

Visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park should stay on marked overlooks and behind all closures; the ground near the caldera rim is unstable and unmarked cracks and overhangs are the main cause of injuries here. Volcanic gas is the other risk: sulphur dioxide and fine ash can trigger breathing problems, so check the park's air quality notices and leave if your eyes or throat start to burn. Lava can appear with little warning when the summit is this pressurised, so check the park website and the observatory's updates on the day rather than relying on earlier reports.

The Associated Press reported on Friday 16 October that the Paraná River had risen to 4.7 m at Ituzaingó, a riverside town in Argentina's Corrientes province, on Thursday, prompting evacuations there and in other towns in the province. Across the river at Ayolas in Paraguay, Mayor Carlos Duarte told a local radio station on Friday that more than 2,000 people had left their homes and that the river had reached its highest level there in more than four decades, with a further rise possible. Paraguay has seen the most evacuations so far.

Officials in Corrientes said they were digging canals and installing drains to prepare for more heavy rain, and herds were moved to higher ground. On the Uruguay River, the Salto Grande hydroelectric dam, shared by Uruguay and Argentina, has gradually opened its gates to relieve the rising water, flooding parts of cities downstream, where several dozen people remain out of their homes. At Iguazú Falls in Brazil, park authorities closed the walkway to the Devil's Throat because of the high Iguazú River; other trails closed in recent days have reopened.

The Paraná, Uruguay and Iguazú all rise in Brazil and flow south, and the region often gets heavy rain during El Niño, when warmer-than-usual Pacific water shifts weather patterns worldwide. Forecasters say this year's event could be among the strongest on record. Uruguayan officials have warned that the country's northwest will get its heaviest rain of the year in the coming months, and Brazil's national weather service expects above-average rainfall in southern Brazil through December.

If Iguazú Falls is on your itinerary, check the park websites on the Brazilian and Argentine sides on the morning of your visit, because individual walkways and the boat trips close and reopen at short notice when the river is high. Elsewhere along the Paraná and Uruguay, avoid riverside campsites, low roads and ferry crossings during high water, never drive or wade through moving floodwater, and follow local evacuation instructions rather than waiting to see how high the river gets.

At 12.40 p.m. Japan time on Friday 16 October the Japan Meteorological Agency issued an earthquake early warning at its highest alert level, forecasting shaking of up to intensity 7 in parts of Hokkaido and northern Honshu. The warning reached regions from Hokkaido to Chubu, including Tokyo. It followed a real magnitude 6.9 earthquake near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula at about 12.38 p.m., which the agency's automatic processing mis-located in the Kuril Islands and sized at magnitude 9.9. The strongest shaking actually recorded in Japan was intensity 1, at Hakodate in Hokkaido.

The agency withdrew the warning at about 12.48 p.m. and apologised at a 2 p.m. press conference, saying the system had substantially overestimated the magnitude. It said the problem appeared to lie in information processing rather than hardware failure, that system administrators found no indication of a cyberattack, and that the early warning system remained operational. The agency said this was the first time it had withdrawn a warning issued at its highest alert level, and that the technical cause is still under investigation.

The alert had real effects. The Tokaido Shinkansen's earthquake protection system cut power and suspended services between Shin-Yokohama and Toyohashi for about 15 minutes, with some westbound trains still delayed into the afternoon, and JR Hokkaido briefly suspended several conventional services. Phone alerts caused alarm and confusion, and a surge of searches temporarily disrupted access to Yahoo Japan Search. No injuries were reported. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center put the Kamchatka earthquake at a preliminary magnitude 7.0 at a depth of 148 km and found no tsunami threat.

Japan's early warning system is normally reliable, and the right response to an alert on your phone has not changed: drop, take cover under a sturdy table and hold on, and stay put until the shaking stops. Keep the alerts switched on rather than muting them after a false one. If you are on a train or shinkansen, expect an automatic stop and wait for staff instructions; on the coast, move inland and uphill if a tsunami warning follows, without waiting for confirmation.