Daily Earthquakes, Storms, Fires & Floods Report — November 8, 2026

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather · Nov 8, 2026

At a glance

It was a quiet day across all four hazards. This report covers the 24 hours from 7:21 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 7, to 7:21 a.m. EST on Sunday, November 8, 2026 (12:21 UTC to 12:21 UTC).

• Storms: three tropical cyclones are active, led by Cempaka in the western Pacific, which the Joint Typhoon Warning Center rated a typhoon. None has coastal warnings.
• Earthquakes: 14 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or above; the largest was a 5.8 on the remote Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
• Floods: flash flooding hit northern Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon; no casualties were reported.
• Fires: the US is at the lowest preparedness level, with four uncontained large fires.
• Volcanoes: Mayon in the Philippines remains at Alert Level 3.

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

Earthquakes

It was a quiet day for earthquakes: nothing reached magnitude 6, and none of the 14 events of magnitude 4.5 or above triggered a tsunami. The largest was a magnitude 5.8 on the remote central Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Five further events measured magnitude 4.5: near Honmachi (Japan), off Guatemala, off Nicaragua, near Pedasí (Panama) and in the Fiji region.

What stands out:

• The magnitude 5.5 near Hamakita, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, was the most widely felt event, with 71 “Did You Feel It?” reports to USGS. USGS gave it a green PAGER alert, meaning little or no damage is expected.
• The magnitude 5.8 on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge struck far from land; GDACS estimated no people within 62 miles (100 km).
• Just outside the window, a magnitude 6.1 struck 144 km SE of Hasaki, Japan, at 10:39 UTC on November 6, with a green alert and no tsunami flag.

USGS recorded 202 earthquakes of all sizes worldwide in the window. Source: USGS earthquake catalog, searched at 12:22 UTC on November 8.

Storms

Three tropical cyclones are active, and none is forecast to make landfall. The Atlantic is quiet: the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said at 1 a.m. EST on November 8 that no formation is expected for seven days.

Cempaka is forecast by JTWC to peak near 100 knots (115 mph, 185 km/h) around 06:00 UTC on November 9. It then turns northeast and becomes extratropical by about November 10 and 11. JTWC’s warning names no landfall. The Japan Meteorological Agency issues the official advisories for Japanese islands.

Pena has no coastal watches or warnings, and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) expects gradual strengthening over the next few days. Its “hazards affecting land” line reads “None.”

03S is forecast by JTWC to weaken and dissipate by 18:00 UTC on November 9, passing north of Madagascar without a forecast landfall.

In the eastern Pacific, NHC gives a broad low off Central America a 20% chance of forming over seven days. It warns of heavy rain over parts of Central America. All figures above come from the advisory times shown; the newest advisory replaces them.

Fires

US fire activity is light, but the year’s totals run well above average. The National Interagency Fire Center report dated Saturday, November 7, lists 22 new fires and 263 acres burned the previous day.

Fires to know:

• Wild River Fire, New Hampshire: 856 acres, 20% contained, about 5 miles southwest of Shelburne in the White Mountain National Forest. 140 personnel are assigned.
• Sisi Fire, Washington: 4,816 acres, 50% contained, about 10 miles northwest of Stehekin.
• Bee Haven 2 Fire, Florida: 2,060 acres, 85% contained.

Elsewhere, GDACS lists only green-alert wildfires, mostly in Australia, Botswana and the Sahel. The largest new Australian fire mapped in the window covered 50,913 hectares (about 125,800 acres). Fires in Nigeria and Burkina Faso each affected over 1,300 people, according to GDACS.

Floods

No major new flood disaster was reported in the window. The most notable event was flash flooding in northern Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon, November 7. The National Weather Service in San Juan issued a flash flood warning for Bayamón and Toa Alta at 2:46 p.m. local time, citing 1 to 2 inches (25 to 50 mm) of rain. Flood advisories covered San Juan and about 20 other municipalities. The office said heavy rain had ended by 7:20 p.m., and no injuries or damage had been reported.

Also today

No new eruption or tsunami was reported in the window. Mayon volcano in Albay, Philippines, has been at Alert Level 3 since October 30. As of November 4, PHIVOLCS reported lava flowing in Bonga Gully and recommended evacuation of the 6 km (3.7 mi) Permanent Danger Zone. No earthquake in the window carried a USGS tsunami flag.

What to watch in the next 24 hours

• Cempaka’s strengthening. JTWC issues warnings every six hours (03:00, 09:00, 15:00 and 21:00 UTC); the Japan Meteorological Agency issues Japan’s official advisories.
• Pena’s track toward the west. CPHC in Honolulu issues advisories every six hours.
• Rain in southern Thailand. The Thai Meteorological Department issues announcements twice daily, at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time.
• Heavy rain in Central America. NHC’s eastern Pacific outlook updates every six hours.
• 03S near northern Madagascar. JTWC’s next warnings are due at 09:00 and 21:00 UTC.

About this report

This report draws on USGS, NHC, CPHC, JTWC, NIFC and GDACS data, plus news reports that cite national agencies. The 24 hours run back from 12:21 UTC on November 8. Some agency products used here were issued up to a day earlier, and tolls in early reports often change.

Glossary:

• Magnitude: a measure of the energy an earthquake releases; each whole step is about 32 times more energy.
• PAGER alert: a USGS estimate of likely deaths and damage; green means little or none.
• JTWC: the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center, which tracks storms in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
• Extratropical: a storm that has lost its tropical structure, often while still windy.
• Preparedness level: the US national wildfire readiness scale, from 1 (low) to 5 (highest).

Frequently asked questions

Is Typhoon Cempaka a threat to Japan? JTWC’s latest warning forecasts no landfall. It expects the storm to turn northeast over open ocean and weaken by about November 10. Residents of Japan’s southern islands should follow the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Will Tropical Storm Pena affect Hawaii? CPHC lists no coastal watches or warnings and no hazards affecting land. Pena is moving west, well south of the islands.

Was anyone hurt in the Japan earthquake? USGS gave the magnitude 5.5 near Hamakita a green alert, meaning little or no damage is expected. GDACS estimated that 630,000 people felt moderate shaking.

Why are US fire totals so high when activity is light? The year-to-date figures count every fire since January. Daily activity in November is low, with the nation at preparedness level 1.

Sources

Earthquakes:

• USGS catalog, magnitude 4.5+, past 24 hours
• USGS count, all magnitudes
• USGS catalog, magnitude 6+, Nov 6–7

Storms:

• NHC Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook
• NHC Eastern Pacific Tropical Weather Outlook
• CPHC Central Pacific outlook
• CPHC Tropical Storm Pena public advisory
• JTWC Western Pacific advisory
• JTWC Cempaka warning
• JTWC Indian Ocean advisory
• JTWC 03S warning

Fires:

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report
• GDACS alerts feed

Floods:

• Rio Times: Puerto Rico flood alerts
• Jerusalem Post: Israel flood warnings
• Balkanweb: Corsica floods
• Nation Thailand: storm warning

Volcanoes:

• Nature World News: Mayon at Alert Level 3