The Earth RecordWednesday, 28 October 2026 (UTC)

← Back to the summary for 28 Oct

The detail behind the day

Tropical Cyclone ARNAB-26 is a major storm.

Earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more

26earthquakes on the day

Strongest first. Magnitude is a log scale: each whole step is about 32 times more energy. Depth is how far below the surface the quake began; shallow ones shake the ground harder.

Time (UTC)MagnitudeDepthWhereCountry
02:216.010 kmnear Port-Olry, VanuatuVanuatu
22:065.7142 kmnear Tual, IndonesiaIndonesia
02:595.610 kmnear Port-Olry, VanuatuVanuatu
15:075.541 kmnear Asahi, JapanJapan
11:375.510 kmReykjanes RidgeOpen ocean
01:395.510 kmnear Port-Olry, VanuatuVanuatu
19:565.335 kmnear Tobelo, IndonesiaIndonesia
19:455.210 kmReykjanes RidgeOpen ocean
02:175.210 kmnear Port-Olry, VanuatuVanuatu
01:115.246 kmnear Balangonan, PhilippinesPhilippines
12:475.010 kmReykjanes RidgeOpen ocean
11:565.010 kmReykjanes RidgeOpen ocean
06:125.010 kmnear Vilyuchinsk, RussiaRussia
04:315.010 kmnear Sola, VanuatuVanuatu
12:354.910 kmnear Hihifo, TongaTonga
12:144.910 kmnear Butulan, PhilippinesPhilippines
09:324.884 kmnear Sarangani, PhilippinesPhilippines
02:134.810 kmnear Port-Olry, VanuatuVanuatu
18:444.710 kmReykjanes RidgeOpen ocean
18:324.741 kmnear Asahi, JapanJapan
15:404.710 kmnear Mazha, ChinaChina
07:024.7186 kmnear Serrezuela, ArgentinaArgentina
23:134.6130 kmnear Kushiro, JapanJapan
22:424.610 kmnear Bole, ChinaChina
12:584.6130 kmsouth of the Fiji IslandsOpen ocean
Show the other 1
Time (UTC)MagnitudeDepthWhereCountry
13:314.510 kmnear Āwash, EthiopiaEthiopia

Where most of them struck

Vanuatu
6 · largest 6.0
Japan
3 · largest 5.5
Philippines
3 · largest 5.2
Indonesia
2 · largest 5.7
China
2 · largest 4.7
Russia
1 · largest 5.0
Tonga
1 · largest 4.9
Argentina
1 · largest 4.7
Ethiopia
1 · largest 4.5

6 more happened out at sea, away from any country’s borders.

Counting smaller ones too, 46 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more were logged worldwide. How many small quakes are recorded depends on how many seismometers are nearby, so this number is not compared with other years.

Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Magnitudes and places can be revised by USGS for weeks after an event.USGS catalogue

Tropical storms and cyclones

AlertStormReported intensity
RedTropical Cyclone ARNAB-26 (India) GDACS reportTropical Storm (maximum wind speed of 222 km/h)
NASA trackerHurricane Vance30 kts
NASA trackerSuper Typhoon Champi35 kts
NASA trackerSuper Typhoon In-fa115 kts
NASA trackerTropical Cyclone Agueda30 kts
NASA trackerTropical Cyclone Arnab55 kts
GreenTropical Cyclone IN-FA-26 (Marshall Islands) GDACS reportHurricane/Typhoon > 74 mph (maximum wind speed of 241 km/h)
GreenTropical Cyclone THREE-C-26 GDACS reportTropical Depression (maximum wind speed of 65 km/h)
GreenTropical Cyclone VANCE-26 GDACS reportTropical Depression (maximum wind speed of 139 km/h)
NASA trackerTropical Storm Olana25 kts

The alert colour reflects the likely effect on people, not just wind speed. Red is the highest; green is a storm with little expected impact.

Sources: Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) and NASA EONET.GDACS reports · NASA EONET

Volcanoes

AlertVolcano
OrangeGreat Sitkin: alert level watch Official notice
YellowAhyi Seamount: alert level advisory Official notice
YellowKilauea: alert level advisory Official notice
YellowShishaldin: alert level advisory Official notice
32 more volcanoes on NASA’s activity tracker
AlertVolcano
NASA trackerAira Volcano, Japan
NASA trackerAmbae Volcano, Vanuatu
NASA trackerBezymianny Volcano, Russia
NASA trackerDukono Volcano, Indonesia
NASA trackerFuego Volcano, Guatemala
NASA trackerIbu Volcano, Indonesia
NASA trackerIvao Group Volcano, Russia
NASA trackerKanlaon Volcano, Philippines
NASA trackerKikai Volcano, Japan
NASA trackerKilauea Volcano, Hawaii
NASA trackerKrasheninnikov Volcano, Russia
NASA trackerLangila Volcano, Papua New Guinea
NASA trackerLewotobi Volcano, Indonesia
NASA trackerLewotolok Volcano, Indonesia
NASA trackerMarapi Volcano, Indonesia
NASA trackerMasaya Volcano, Nicaragua
NASA trackerMayon Volcano, Philippines
NASA trackerMerapi Volcano, Indonesia
NASA trackerNevados del Chillan Volcano, Chile
NASA trackerPopocatepetl Volcano, Mexico
NASA trackerPuracé Volcano, Colombia
NASA trackerReventador Volcano, Ecuador
NASA trackerRincon de la Vieja Volcano, Costa Rica
NASA trackerSabancaya Volcano, Peru
NASA trackerSangay Volcano, Ecuador
NASA trackerSanta Maria Volcano, Guatemala
NASA trackerSemeru Volcano, Indonesia
NASA trackerSheveluch Volcano, Russia
NASA trackerStromboli Volcano, Italy
NASA trackerSuwanosejima Volcano, Japan
NASA trackerTelica Volcano, Nicaragua
NASA trackerTitan Ridge Volcano, Papua New Guinea

Colour codes are the aviation scale: green is normal, yellow an advisory, orange a watch, red a warning. USGS rates US volcanoes only; the others come from NASA’s tracker of volcanoes with recent activity reports.

Sources: USGS Volcano Hazards Program, NASA EONET and USGS earthquakes for Campi Flegrei and Vesuvius.USGS volcano notices · NASA EONET

Floods, weather warnings and other events

England: flood warnings and alerts

0severe15warnings46alerts
LevelArea
WarningKeswick Campsite
WarningNorth Bank of the Humber estuary at Hessle Haven
WarningNorth Bank of the Humber estuary from Kilnsea to Skeffling and Weeton
WarningNorth Sea and River Esk at Whitby Harbour
WarningNorth Sea at Alnmouth
WarningNorth Sea at Berwick-Upon-Tweed and Tweedmouth
WarningNorth Sea at Staithes
WarningNorth Sea at Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth
WarningNorth Sea coast at Bridlington - Harbour Road and Floral Pavilion
WarningNorth Sea coast at Bridlington - South Pier
WarningNorth Sea coast at Easington and Kilnsea
WarningSouth Hayling and South Eastoke seafront
WarningThe north Norfolk coast at Salthouse and east Cley
WarningThe north Norfolk coast at Wells Quay
WarningTyne estuary at Newcastle Quayside, Low Walker, Lower Derwenthaugh Industrial Estate and Willington

A flood warning means flooding is expected; an alert means it is possible. Alerts are counted but not listed one by one.

United States: severe and extreme warnings

HazardSevereExtreme
Flood210
Wind110
Thunderstorm and hail80
Tornado05
Winter weather50
Other30

Each figure is the peak number of warnings in force at once in a state, added across states. It shows scale, not an exact count of separate events.

Extreme-level warnings:

Warning
Tornado Warning: Burnett, WI
Tornado Warning: Dakota, MN; Goodhue, MN; Pierce, WI
Tornado Warning: Dakota, MN; Goodhue, MN; Pierce, WI
Tornado Warning: Pine, MN; Burnett, WI
Tornado Watch: Anoka, MN; Benton, MN; Carver, MN; Chisago, MN; Dakota, MN; Goodhue, MN; Hennepin, MN; Isanti, MN; Kanabec, MN; Le Sueur, MN; McLeod, MN; Mille Lacs, MN; Nicollet, MN; Ramsey, MN; Rice,
Tornado Watch: Anoka, MN; Chisago, MN; Dakota, MN; Goodhue, MN; Hennepin, MN; Ramsey, MN; Rice, MN; Scott, MN; Washington, MN; Barron, WI; Chippewa, WI; Dunn, WI; Eau Claire, WI; Pepin, WI; Pierce, WI
Tornado Watch: Burnett, WI; Sawyer, WI; Washburn, WI
Tornado Watch: Pine, MN; Burnett, WI; Sawyer, WI; Washburn, WI
Tornado Watch: Sawyer, WI; Washburn, WI

NASA’s tracker lists 7,159 open wildfires worldwide. They are counted, not listed.

Sources: Environment Agency flood warnings (Open Government Licence v3.0), US National Weather Service, NASA EONET.Environment Agency data · NWS alerts · NASA EONET

Space weather

Kind of eventHighest level reached
Geomagnetic stormNone
Radio blackoutNone
Solar radiation stormNone

The planetary Kp index reached 2.3 on this day; 5 or more is a geomagnetic storm.

Highest Kp each day: 22 Oct 4.3 · 23 Oct 4.3 · 24 Oct 2.0 · 25 Oct 2.0 · 26 Oct 2.0 · 27 Oct 2.7 · 28 Oct 2.3

Source: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.NOAA space weather

Climate readings

MeasureLatest valueReading dateHow it comparesSource
Pacific sea temperature (Niño 3.4)+3.4 °C against normalWeek to 21 Oct1st highest weekly reading since 1981NOAA CPC
Arctic sea ice extent7.6 million km²27 Oct18% below the 1981–2010 average; 7th lowest of 44 years for the dateNSIDC
Antarctic sea ice extent16.0 million km²27 Oct9% below the 1981–2010 average; 2nd lowest of 44 years for the dateNSIDC
Carbon dioxide, Mauna Loa427.0 ppm27 Oct2.2 ppm higher than a year earlierNOAA GML
Antarctic ozone hole21.0 million km²26 Oct9th largest for the date since 1979; thinnest part 136 Dobson unitsNASA

These move slowly, so the latest reading may be a few days old. The summary page draws each one as a chart.NOAA ENSO data · NSIDC Sea Ice Index · NOAA CO₂ data · NASA Ozone Watch