Daily Earthquakes, Storms, Fires & Floods Report November 3, 2026

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather · Nov 3, 2026

At a glance

Cyclone Murasu’s landfall in India and deadly flooding in the US Southwest led a fairly quiet 24 hours, from 7:20 a.m. EST on Monday, November 2, to 7:20 a.m. EST on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (12:20 UTC to 12:20 UTC).

• Storms: Cyclone Murasu came ashore near Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India, and is weakening; Typhoon In-Fa is drifting slowly at sea southwest of Iwo To, Japan.
• Floods: flooding in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah left one person dead and a second death suspected, with evacuations and rescues.
• Earthquakes: a quiet day; the largest was a M5.4 in central Colombia, with none at magnitude 6 or above.
• Fires: US activity is light at preparedness level 1; large fires elsewhere carry only low-level alerts.
• Volcanoes: Kilauea, Hawaii, moved to WATCH/ORANGE ahead of a new lava fountaining episode.

National weather services and local authorities issue the official warnings; follow them for decisions about safety.

Earthquakes

It was a quiet day for earthquakes. The US Geological Survey (USGS) catalog lists 11 quakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater in the window, the largest a M5.4 in central Colombia. None reached magnitude 6, none carried a tsunami flag, and none had reported damage in the catalog.

One further M4.5 struck 104 mi (168 km) SE of San Jose Village, Northern Mariana Islands, at 19:59 UTC on Nov 2.

What stands out

• The M5.4 in Colombia was the only event with a USGS PAGER alert, rated green, meaning a low likelihood of casualties or damage.
• Two quakes, M5.3 and M4.9, struck under the sea south of Crete about 18 hours apart.
• Just before the window, a M6.0 struck 103 mi (165 km) NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu, at 11:47 UTC on Nov 1, at a depth of 6.2 mi (10 km), with a green alert.

The USGS counted 236 earthquakes of all sizes worldwide in the window. Source: USGS catalog query, searched at 12:21 UTC on November 3. Magnitudes can be revised as analysts review the data.

Storms

Cyclone Murasu was the day’s main storm, crossing the south Andhra Pradesh coast of India near Ongole early on November 3 local time. Typhoon In-Fa is drifting slowly at sea southwest of Iwo To, Japan. There are no tropical cyclones in the Atlantic, Eastern Pacific or Central Pacific.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is watching two areas. Low pressure may form a few hundred miles northeast of the Bahamas, with a 10% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in 48 hours and 30% in seven days (outlook issued 1 a.m. EST Nov 3). A broad low well southeast of Hawaii has a 20% chance in 48 hours and 70% in seven days; NHC says a tropical depression is “likely to form during the middle to latter portions of this week” (outlook issued 4 a.m. PST Nov 2).

Cyclone Murasu, India

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Murasu “crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole between 3.30 am and 5.30 am on Tuesday,” with winds of 100 to 110 km/h (62 to 68 mph) gusting to 120 km/h (75 mph), as quoted by ETV Bharat. The JTWC timed landfall at about 02:00 UTC (7:30 a.m. IST) “just northeast of Ongole as a highly compact cyclone.” The two agencies’ timings differ.

• Weakening: IMD expected the severe cyclonic storm “to weaken into a cyclonic storm by afternoon and a deep depression by midnight,” according to Dainik Jagran.
• Rain: IMD issued a red warning for heavy to very heavy rain, with isolated extremely heavy falls, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Tuesday. Naguluppalapadu in Prakasam district recorded 198 mm (7.8 in) up to 6 a.m. on November 3, per IMD data reported by Nation Path India.
• Surge: IMD’s November 2 release forecast a surge of 1.5 to 2.0 m (5 to 6.5 ft) above the astronomical tide over Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam districts.
• People: About 10,000 people were evacuated to relief shelters and no deaths had been reported, according to Nation Path India, citing the Union Home Ministry. Nineteen domestic flights in Andhra Pradesh were cancelled.
• Sea: Fishermen are advised not to go out along and off the Andhra Pradesh coast until the afternoon of November 4 (IMD, November 2 release).

These figures are from the 09:00 UTC JTWC warning and IMD statements of early November 3; the newest IMD bulletin replaces them.

Typhoon In-Fa, near Iwo To

In-Fa poses no direct threat to populated land in the latest warning. Iwo To, a small island with no civilian population, is the nearest land. The JTWC 09:00 UTC warning forecasts In-Fa to strengthen slightly to 86 mph (139 km/h) and track north past the island’s west side through November 4. The next JTWC warning is due at 15:00 UTC; it replaces these figures.

Fires

US wildfire activity is light, at the lowest national preparedness level, though the season’s totals remain well above average. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) report dated Monday, November 2, 0730 MDT, gives these figures.

Fires to know

• Sisi, Washington: 4,816 acres (1,949 ha), 40% contained, 10 miles NW of Stehekin in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. NIFC notes “residences threatened.”
• Bee Haven 2, Florida: 2,060 acres (834 ha), 85% contained, 28 miles NW of Lake City, with smoldering and minimal fire behavior.
• BSP Cactus, Tennessee: 220 acres (89 ha), 75% contained, in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; rain fell over the fire on November 1.

Elsewhere: The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) lists dozens of large fires in Africa, Australia, China and Brazil, all at its lowest (green) alert level. Among those posted November 2 and 3 are 12,486 ha (30,853 acres) in South Sudan, 11,474 ha (28,353 acres) across Botswana and Namibia, and 5,726 ha (14,149 acres) in China with about 5,420 people in the area. GDACS lists no deaths for these fires.

Floods

Flooding in the normally arid US Southwest was the most serious flood event, with one death confirmed and a second suspected. Rain has cleared, but the flood risk remains high, the Associated Press reported at 3:03 a.m. EST on November 3. Hundreds were evacuated and dozens rescued, some by helicopter, across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. In Flagstaff, police found the body of a 73-year-old man about 15 blocks from where he disappeared, and a second man was found dead in a drainage area. Flagstaff had 5.15 inches (13 cm) of rain over two days, its wettest November 1 on record. The San Juan River at Pagosa Springs, Colorado, reached 16.81 feet (5.1 m) on Sunday, a foot below its 1911 record. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a statewide emergency, and the governors of New Mexico and Colorado have asked for a federal major disaster declaration.

Also today

Kilauea in Hawaii is the volcano to watch. On November 2 at 2:06 p.m. HST, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised its alert level to WATCH and its aviation color code to ORANGE as low-level activity began ahead of lava fountaining episode 56. The observatory expects fountaining between November 2 and November 7. All activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

No other eruption, tsunami or major hazard was reported in the window.

What to watch in the next 24 hours

• Murasu’s rain in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: IMD expects the storm to weaken to a deep depression by midnight local time on November 3. Updates come from IMD’s bulletins.
• Typhoon In-Fa near Iwo To: the next JTWC warning is due at 15:00 UTC on November 3, followed by 21:00 UTC. The Japan Meteorological Agency issues Japan’s official warnings.
• Southwest flood recovery: evacuation orders stay in place in Pagosa Springs; local sheriffs and the National Weather Service issue the updates.
• Kilauea episode 56: fountaining could begin at any time through November 7. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will publish a new notice when it starts.
• Two tropical outlook areas: the low southeast of Hawaii and the low northeast of the Bahamas. The NHC’s next tropical weather outlooks will update the odds.

About this report

This report draws on official agencies first: the USGS earthquake catalog, the NHC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), the India Meteorological Department, NIFC, GDACS and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, with news reports for impacts. The 24-hour window runs from 7:20 a.m. EST on November 2 to 7:20 a.m. EST on November 3 (12:20 to 12:20 UTC). Death tolls in disasters often change in the first days, and remote events can go unreported. It is a summary, not a warning service.

Glossary

• Magnitude (M): a measure of the energy an earthquake releases; each step up is a much larger release.
• PAGER alert: a USGS estimate of likely casualties and damage after a quake, from green (low) to red (high).
• Preparedness level: the US national wildfire readiness scale, from 1 (low activity) to 5 (resources stretched).
• Storm surge: a rise in sea level pushed ashore by a storm’s winds, above the normal tide.
• Extratropical: a storm that has lost its tropical structure and now draws energy from temperature contrasts, like a winter storm.

Frequently asked questions

Did Cyclone Murasu cause deaths in India? No deaths had been reported as of November 3, according to Nation Path India. Heavy rain is still expected as the storm weakens inland.

Is Typhoon In-Fa a threat to Japan’s main islands? The latest JTWC forecast keeps it well east of Japan’s main islands, turning northeast over the open Pacific. It is expected to lose its tropical character in about two and a half days. Japan’s official warnings come from the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Why is the US Southwest flooding when it is usually dry? A broad storm system brought months of rain in a few days. One National Weather Service meteorologist told AP the region was “getting two or three months of rain in a span of a couple of days.”

Was the earthquake in Colombia dangerous? The M5.4 struck at a shallow depth of about 6 miles (10 km). The USGS rated it green, meaning little damage or loss of life is expected.

Sources

Earthquakes

• USGS earthquake catalog, M4.5+ in the window
• USGS earthquake count, all magnitudes
• USGS catalog, M6+ before the window

Storms

• National Hurricane Center
• NHC Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook
• NHC Eastern Pacific Tropical Weather Outlook
• Central Pacific Tropical Weather Outlook
• JTWC Western Pacific significant weather advisory
• JTWC Indian Ocean significant weather advisory
• JTWC Typhoon 30W (In-Fa) warning
• JTWC Tropical Cyclone 04B (Murasu) warning
• India Meteorological Department press release, Nov 2
• ETV Bharat, Cyclone Murasu live updates
• Nation Path India, Murasu landfall
• Dainik Jagran English, Murasu weakens

Fires

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report
• GDACS alert feed

Floods

• AP via WOKV, Southwest floods
• NWS Melbourne flood warning, Brevard County
• GDACS, Philippines flood

Volcanoes

• USGS Kilauea volcano updates