A very strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific Ocean 188 km (117 mi) from Gisborne, New Zealand, in the early morning of Friday, Apr 17, 2026 at 1.30 am local time (GMT +12). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was not felt (or at least not reported so).
Earthquake details
Date & time Apr 16, 2026 13:30:01 UTC
Local time at epicenter Friday, Apr 17, 2026, at 01:30 am (GMT +12)
Status confirmed (manually revised)
Magnitude 6.00
Depth 10 km
Heavy rains and flooding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti have killed at least 19 people and displaced thousands more, according to the latest toll by officials and the Red Cross.
Powerful storms that began April 7 have continued dumping rain on the neigboring Caribbean nations -- which share the island of Hispaniola -- with authorities staying vigilant despite ebbing intensity of rainfall in recent hours.
Haiti's civil protection agency on Tuesday reported 12 deaths across several departments. Dominican authorities on Wednesday put the death toll in the country at seven.
"Five bodies have been recovered," civil defense director Juan Salas told AFP, adding to two deaths confirmed last week.
A dangerous typhoon bore down on two U.S. territories in the western Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, bringing strong winds and life-threatening flooding.
Typhoon Sinlaku was downgraded from a super typhoon early Wednesday local time as it battered the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the latest advisory from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Guam.
The center of the powerful storm was pulling away from Tinian and Saipan, moving northwest at 5 mph. Forecasters said it is expected to pass just west of the islands of Almagan, Pagan and Agrihan in the latter half of the week.
As of the latest advisory, maximum sustained winds had decreased to 145 mph, with typhoon-force winds extending up to 75 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extending outward up to 265 miles.
The latest Palisades Tahoe, California, snow report tells a story of remarkable late-season resurgence. A sustained storm cycle has transformed conditions on the upper mountain, logging a foot of new snow overnight and driving the three-day storm total to 43 inches. The resort is now among the last Tahoe areas still operating.
Most ski areas across the western U.S. have endured one of their worst seasons in recent memory, with dry and mild conditions since November, leaving many resorts struggling to open meaningful terrain. Palisades has been an exception to that late-season trend this week.
Sunny breaks are emerging across the mountain on Monday, though forecasters have not ruled out additional snow showers that could add another inch to the upper elevations before conditions settle. Long-range models continue to show troughing over the region through the third week of April, with additional storm systems possible and a cooler-than-normal pattern expected to persist.
The weekend storm delivered heavy snow Saturday night, with snow levels crashing down to around 4,000 feet, well below the base, bringing fluffier, high-ratio snow to the upper mountain.
Nicolas Fernandes nj.com Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:06 UTC
A man died on Saturday after he was attacked by three pit bulls in Newark.
The man, whose name has not been released, intervened when he saw the three dogs fighting at the Georgia King Village affordable housing complex in Newark. The victim was known to the owner of the dogs, Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda said in a statement.
The three dogs then turned on the man, Miranda said. He managed to escape but soon lost consciousness from his injuries, authorities said
Police and animal control officers responded to the area of Cabinet Street at 8:26 p.m. and found the man, who was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later, police said.
It was unclear what happened to the dogs following the incident.
Solar Cycle 25 continued to defy expectations in March, with activity ramping up in the "post-peak phase". On March 16, Active Region 4392 produced an M2.7 flare, triggering an R1 radio blackout over the Atlantic, Africa, and southern Europe, and a vivid auroral display visible at mid-latitudes.
On March 26, the AR4403 unleashed an M3.9 flare, and the month closed with a dramatic exclamation point: an X1.4 flare from AR4405 on March 30, the strongest event of the month. The eruption prompted forecasters to issue watches for G3 (strong) to G4 (severe) geomagnetic storms - a development that also raised concerns for NASA's Artemis 2 mission, scheduled to launch just days later.
March 2026 brought catastrophic flooding and severe storm activity spanning nearly every continent:
April in North India is defying expectations this year, with unseasonal rain, snowfall, and a sharp dip in temperatures replacing the usual summer heat. States like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi are witnessing winter-like conditions, driven by persistent Western Disturbances.
These moisture-laden systems, typically active in winter, have lingered into spring, bringing storms, hail, and cloudy skies. The unusual weather has disrupted daily life and raised concerns among farmers, with significant crop damage reported.
Experts warn this could signal increasing climate variability, where shifting patterns blur seasonal boundaries and make weather more unpredictable and potentially more damaging.
Tarek Chouiref Anadolu Ajansı Sun, 12 Apr 2026 18:16 UTC
Saudi Arabia suspended in-person classes at several schools and universities Sunday after torrential rains and flooding swept through Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom.
Footage shared on US social media company X showed torrents of water rushing through streets in the Saudi capital after intense rainfall late Saturday.
The National Center for Meteorology said heavy rain affecting Riyadh would continue until early Sunday, though its intensity was expected to gradually ease.
The Saudi Civil Defense urged residents in Riyadh and the Eastern Province to exercise caution and follow official safety instructions.
Saudi state-run Alekhbariah said in-person classes were suspended Sunday at several universities and schools, including Al-Baha University, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences and King Khalid University.
The weather center had warned Thursday that most regions of the country would experience moderate to heavy rainfall through Tuesday.
Multicolored clouds shimmered across the sky in Yunnan, China, as sunlight refracted through ice crystals, creating a vivid display of shifting colors.
Comment: Footage of other tornados in the region: