← Back to the summary for 31 Oct
The detail behind the day
The equatorial Pacific is the warmest on record.
Earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more
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) | Magnitude | Depth | Where | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:15 | 6.0 | 352 km | near Shima, Japan | Japan |
| 22:42 | 5.2 | 10 km | near Port-Olry, Vanuatu | Vanuatu |
| 15:50 | 5.2 | 10 km | near Bajo Corral, Panama | Panama |
| 21:20 | 5.0 | 10 km | near Bushehr, Iran | Iran |
| 11:31 | 5.0 | 10 km | near Port-Olry, Vanuatu | Vanuatu |
| 09:18 | 4.9 | 10 km | near Port-Olry, Vanuatu | Vanuatu |
| 09:15 | 4.9 | 10 km | near Sola, Vanuatu | Vanuatu |
| 23:57 | 4.8 | 10 km | near Port-Olry, Vanuatu | Vanuatu |
| 00:26 | 4.8 | 10 km | near Port-Olry, Vanuatu | Vanuatu |
| 03:14 | 4.6 | 10 km | Izu Islands, Japan region | Japan |
| 18:51 | 4.5 | 45 km | near Atka, Alaska | United States |
| 18:50 | 4.5 | 1 km | near Atka, Alaska | United States |
| 13:56 | 4.5 | 10 km | near Tadine, New Caledonia | New Caledonia |
| 02:37 | 4.5 | 10 km | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | Open ocean |
| 00:32 | 4.5 | 10 km | near Katsuura, Japan | Japan |
Where most of them struck
1 more happened out at sea, away from any country’s borders.
Counting smaller ones too, 41 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
| Alert | Storm | Reported intensity |
|---|---|---|
| NASA tracker | Hurricane Vance | 25 kts |
| NASA tracker | Super Typhoon Champi | 35 kts |
| NASA tracker | Super Typhoon In-fa | 95 kts |
| NASA tracker | Tropical Cyclone Arnab | 55 kts |
| Green | Tropical Cyclone IN-FA-26 (Japan, Marshall Islands) GDACS report | Hurricane/Typhoon > 74 mph (maximum wind speed of 241 km/h) |
| Green | Tropical Cyclone VANCE-26 (México) GDACS report | Tropical Depression (maximum wind speed of 139 km/h) |
| NASA tracker | Tropical Storm Olana | 25 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
| Alert | Volcano |
|---|---|
| Orange | Great Sitkin: alert level watch Official notice |
| Yellow | Ahyi Seamount: alert level advisory Official notice |
| Yellow | Kilauea: alert level advisory Official notice |
| Yellow | Shishaldin: alert level advisory Official notice |
32 more volcanoes on NASA’s activity tracker
| Alert | Volcano |
|---|---|
| NASA tracker | Aira Volcano, Japan |
| NASA tracker | Ambae Volcano, Vanuatu |
| NASA tracker | Bezymianny Volcano, Russia |
| NASA tracker | Dukono Volcano, Indonesia |
| NASA tracker | Fuego Volcano, Guatemala |
| NASA tracker | Ibu Volcano, Indonesia |
| NASA tracker | Ivao Group Volcano, Russia |
| NASA tracker | Kanlaon Volcano, Philippines |
| NASA tracker | Kikai Volcano, Japan |
| NASA tracker | Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii |
| NASA tracker | Krasheninnikov Volcano, Russia |
| NASA tracker | Langila Volcano, Papua New Guinea |
| NASA tracker | Lewotobi Volcano, Indonesia |
| NASA tracker | Lewotolok Volcano, Indonesia |
| NASA tracker | Marapi Volcano, Indonesia |
| NASA tracker | Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua |
| NASA tracker | Mayon Volcano, Philippines |
| NASA tracker | Merapi Volcano, Indonesia |
| NASA tracker | Nevados del Chillan Volcano, Chile |
| NASA tracker | Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico |
| NASA tracker | Puracé Volcano, Colombia |
| NASA tracker | Reventador Volcano, Ecuador |
| NASA tracker | Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Costa Rica |
| NASA tracker | Sabancaya Volcano, Peru |
| NASA tracker | Sangay Volcano, Ecuador |
| NASA tracker | Santa Maria Volcano, Guatemala |
| NASA tracker | Semeru Volcano, Indonesia |
| NASA tracker | Sheveluch Volcano, Russia |
| NASA tracker | Stromboli Volcano, Italy |
| NASA tracker | Suwanosejima Volcano, Japan |
| NASA tracker | Telica Volcano, Nicaragua |
| NASA tracker | Titan 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
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
| Hazard | Severe | Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | 36 | 0 |
| Wind | 15 | 0 |
| Winter weather | 6 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 0 |
| Thunderstorm and hail | 1 | 0 |
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.
NASA’s tracker lists 7,163 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 event | Highest level reached |
|---|---|
| Geomagnetic storm | 2 of 5 (moderate) |
| Radio blackout | None |
| Solar radiation storm | None |
The planetary Kp index reached 6.0 on this day; 5 or more is a geomagnetic storm.
Highest Kp each day: 25 Oct 2.0 · 26 Oct 2.0 · 27 Oct 2.7 · 28 Oct 2.3 · 29 Oct 2.3 · 30 Oct 4.3 · 31 Oct 6.0
Source: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.NOAA space weather
Climate readings
| Measure | Latest value | Reading date | How it compares | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific sea temperature (Niño 3.4) | +3.4 °C against normal | Week to 21 Oct | 1st highest weekly reading since 1981 | NOAA CPC |
| Arctic sea ice extent | 7.8 million km² | 30 Oct | 19% below the 1981–2010 average; 6th lowest of 45 years for the date | NSIDC |
| Antarctic sea ice extent | 15.9 million km² | 30 Oct | 9% below the 1981–2010 average; 2nd lowest of 45 years for the date | NSIDC |
| Carbon dioxide, Mauna Loa | 427.2 ppm | 29 Oct | 1.9 ppm higher than a year earlier | NOAA GML |
| Antarctic ozone hole | 19.9 million km² | 28 Oct | 10th largest for the date since 1979; thinnest part 138 Dobson units | NASA |
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