At an airfield in Portugal, storm winds flipped over airplanes. In Russia, Kamchatka was buried in snow in just two days, while summer-like warmth unexpectedly arrived in Siberia in March.
However, what raises the greatest concern is the activation of the Siberian Plume — a massive stream of magma rising from deep within the Earth.
Learn more about these events in this weekly overview of natural disasters that occurred from March 19 to 25, 2025.
South Korea
The country faced some of the largest wildfires in its history.
Since March 21, fires have burned over 38,600 hectares across the country. The flames damaged or completely destroyed at least 2,300 homes, as well as numerous agricultural structures.
Nearly 38,000 people were evacuated. At least 28 people have died, and 32 were injured.
Over 9,200 firefighters and rescuers, along with 105 helicopters, were involved in the efforts. Despite the massive response, the fires remain out of control due to strong winds and dry weather.
Storm Martinho
On March 19 and 20, a powerful storm named “Martinho” hit Portugal, bringing torrential rains and hurricane-force winds.
The Greater Lisbon area was hardest hit, with at least 8 people injured. In Cascais, strong winds flipped several small aircraft at an airfield.
The next day, March 21, “Martinho” moved into Spain. In the city of Águilas, 70 mm of rain fell in just one hour.
In Madrid, continuous rainfall made March 2025 the wettest March on record.
Malaysia
Starting March 19, relentless heavy rains hit the southern state of Johor. In six districts, river levels rose above danger thresholds, causing flash floods.
In Kampung Pasir Tebrau, water rose so high that only rooftops remained visible. More than 13,000 people were evacuated and relocated to 95 temporary shelters.
Saudi Arabia
Extreme rainfall struck Saudi Arabia starting March 19. In the Riyadh region, three months’ worth of rain fell in just three days.
In Jeddah, the amount of rainfall in two days matched the city’s annual average.
In the Asir region, the downpours were accompanied by large hail, covering mountain peaks and roads in a winter-like landscape.
Russia
A sharp warming caused an early ice breakup on the Sim and Gumbeika rivers in the Chelyabinsk region.
In the city of Asha, the flooding began so rapidly that many residents couldn’t save their belongings or pets.
On March 23, a powerful snow cyclone struck Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, dropping over 82 cm of snow in two days — more than the entire previous winter, according to local officials.
In Primorsky Krai, two deep-focus earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 and 4.4 occurred within 24 hours.
Hundreds of temperature records were broken in Siberia last week.
On March 19, Novosibirsk recorded its warmest day in 102 years.
On March 20, among Russia’s top ten warmest locations were towns in the Altai Republic, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Region, and Khakassia.
Even nighttime temperatures felt like summer in many areas.
In Krasnoyarsk on March 21, the nighttime temperature was 22°C above the climatic norm!
If there are still people who doubt the increase in natural disasters, Siberians are not among them — they are already feeling it firsthand. Local news and social media confirm: such changes are happening for the first time, and even longtime residents admit they’ve never seen anything like this.
The important news is that scientists have discovered the cause of these anomalies. One of them is the giant magmatic plume rising from the Earth beneath Siberia. Today, it is not only causing anomalies in Siberia but also contributing to the global rise in natural disasters.
To raise awareness, an international group of scientists supported by volunteers prepared a report titled “The Threat of a Magmatic Plume Breakthrough in Siberia and Ways to Address the Problem.”
The report details alarming signs of plume activity: permafrost thawing, increased mud volcano activity, soil heating, rising seismicity, and more. It also proposes a concrete program for planned, controlled degassing of the plume to prevent a potential catastrophe.
This report is not just a scientific paper — it’s a clear action plan. Its goal is to bring critical information to government and private organizations, the scientific community, and anyone willing to act to solve the growing problem of global natural disasters.