Floods and landslides in Japan

Floods and landslides in Japan

Heavy rainfall has caused flooding and landslides on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu. Several people have been reported missing. Media reports showed houses, shops and vehicles submerged under about a metre of water, with swollen rivers sweeping away...
Earthquake in Turkey

Earthquake in Turkey

A strong earthquake shook Turkey on Sunday evening. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the quake had a magnitude of 6.0, while the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported a magnitude of 6.1. The epicentre was...
Wildfire in California

Wildfire in California

In California, on Thursday, 7 August 2025 (local time), the so-called “Canyon Fire” broke out about 60 kilometres northwest of Los Angeles [1, 2, 3, 4]. It spread rapidly within a few hours and burned almost 22 square kilometres of hilly terrain by Sunday...
New Metop-SGA1 satellite for improved weather forecasts

New Metop-SGA1 satellite for improved weather forecasts

On 13 August 2025, the Metop-SGA1 satellite from the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) will launch from Kourou (French Guiana). On board is the METimage multispectral camera, a high-tech measuring instrument designed to...
75 years of THW missions

75 years of THW missions

The German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Since its founding in 1950, the organization has been active in a wide range of civil protection and disaster relief areas – from small daily operations to flood relief...