Atmosphere – The Watchers

Extremely rare gigantic jet captured from the International Space Station over Mexico and U.S. Southwest

Reet Kaur — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 19:39:00 +0000

An extremely rare gigantic jet, powerful bolt of upward lightning, was captured from the International Space Station as it soared above a thunderstorm over northern Mexico and the U.S. Southwest on July 3, 2025. The striking image, taken by NASA astronaut Nichole Vapor Ayers, shows the jet piercing into the ionosphere, offering a rare glimpse of one of Earth's most elusive atmospheric phenomena.

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Early stratospheric warming waves emerging around Antarctic polar vortex

Teo Blašković — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 18:39:00 +0000

The Antarctic stratosphere is showing initial signs of disruption, as early warming waves form around a persistently cold polar vortex core. Further intensification and broadening of the anomalies are forecast for July 2025.

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Saharan dust plume to reach Florida by weekend, Texas by next week

Rishav Kothari — Fri, 30 May 2025 13:26:42 +0000

A plume of Saharan dust stretching from the coast of Africa to the northwestern Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico is forecast to reach Florida by Saturday, May 31, 2025. Southern and central parts of the state are expected to experience hazy skies and reduced air quality over the weekend. A denser plume could arrive by mid-next week, with the dust reaching Texas by Tuesday, June 3.

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Polar vortex collapse to influence spring weather across U.S. and Canada

Rishav Kothari — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 15:34:13 +0000

Large-scale pressure changes following a strong sudden stratospheric warming event in mid-March 2025, which caused the collapse of the polar vortex, are expected to drive spring weather patterns across Canada and the United States into May. Northerly winds are expected to bring colder air into parts of North America, while high-pressure zones may lead to warmer conditions in the central U.S. and southern Canada. The shifts in weather patterns are consistent with the typical effects observed following a polar vortex disruption, where the jet stream becomes more erratic, leading to unusual temperature distributions and weather events.

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Large Saharan dust plume impacts southern and eastern Europe

Teo Blašković — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:29:31 +0000

A large plume of Saharan dust is moving across the Mediterranean Sea into southern and central Europe, with peak concentrations expected on April 16. The event is likely to reduce air quality and may cause “blood rain” in areas affected by rainfall.

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Final polar vortex collapse of the season begins

Rishav Kothari — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 16:13:10 +0000

The final polar vortex collapse of the 2024--25 winter season has begun with one of the strongest sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events being forecast to develop and bring late-season cold to much of the U.S.

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Starlink satellites reentering Earth’s atmosphere in increasing numbers, creating artificial meteor showers

Rishav Kothari — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 16:02:00 +0000

Starlink satellites are re-entering Earth's atmosphere at an increasing rate, with 120 burning up in January 2025 alone. This has created nightly artificial meteor showers and raised concerns about aluminum oxide accumulation in the atmosphere.

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Rare Polar Stratospheric Clouds outbreak observed over the Arctic

Rishav Kothari — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 13:41:27 +0000

An outbreak of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), also known as nacreous clouds, has been observed over the Arctic since December 9, approximately one month earlier than the typical season, which in the Arctic usually spans from January to March.

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Severe air pollution grips Delhi with AQI at 373, second worst worldwide

Rishika Yadav — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 20:51:18 +0000

The Air Quality Index (AQI) of 373 in R.K. Puram, Delhi, shows high pollution levels as of 14:35 LT (09:05 UTC) on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The levels of PM2.5 and PM10 are 318 and 258 indicating serious health risks placing Delhi as the second most polluted city in the world, following Lahore, Pakistan. Other pollutants like ozone (AQI 51), nitrogen dioxide (AQI 13), sulfur dioxide (AQI 1), and carbon monoxide (AQI 8) were also measured but are at lower levels.

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Early snow cover patterns point to polar vortex disruption, signaling harsh winter ahead across North America and Europe

Rishav Kothari — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:05:06 +0000

An unusual buildup of snow from Siberia to North America in late October could destabilize the polar vortex, leading to colder and snowier conditions across the United States, Canada, and Europe this winter.

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