IMO still offline

Update and reminder on the IMO cyberattack. The meteor monitoring body is still offline and has been rebuilding over the last two weeks. They will be back shortly. Information will be updated for strandings once obtained. 

Mediterranean February 12 Sonic Boom update

2026, February 12. Spain, Balearic Islands. Residents across Mallorca, Menorca, and parts of the Spanish mainland reported hearing and feeling loud "sonic booms" and window-rattling vibrations. While local weather services (AEMET) confirmed a major storm ("Squall Nils") was impacting the region with 90 km/h winds, the specific acoustic shocks were inconsistent with standard thunder or wind gusts. February 13–15, 2026: No military exercises were scheduled in the Balearic Sea for this period. Inquiries to the Spanish Air Force regarding supersonic flights yielded no confirmation of activity. Seismic Data: A seismic station at Isla Plana, Murcia (on the coast facing the Balearic Sea) recorded an event at 10:05 AM. Magnitude: 3.2. Energy Yield: Approximately 4 x 10^9 joules (equivalent to roughly 1 ton of TNT). The depth was logged as 0 km, which is a classic indicator of an atmospheric source (like an airburst) rather than a tectonic earthquake. The "Non-Earthquake" Signature: Local reports across Mallorca and Menorca described "window-rattling" and "concussive" vibrations. Since the seismic sensors recorded this energy as an N-wave (a pressure front pushing on the ground), it confirms the shock originated in the air.

Nordic Meteor Update

Sweden & Finland (February 20–22): The American Meteor Society (AMS) and International Meteor Organization (IMO) are currently investigating a cluster of approximately 100 fireball reports across Europe, with specific sightings confirmed in Sweden and Finland over the last few days. While there are no major annual showers currently peaking, the Alpha Centaurids (peaking earlier in February) and sporadic "Anthelion" meteors are active. Observers at northern latitudes have reported seeing approximately 5-15 meteors per hour during the pre-dawn hours over the weekend. Current reports describe these as "sporadic fireballs"—exceptionally bright meteors that are not part of a named shower but are bright enough to be captured by all-sky camera networks across Scandinavia.

Will update this post when the fireball data is available tomorrow. 

2026, February 22. Sweden, north over land. Fireball. Also seen in Finland. Regions include Lappi, Norrbotten County, Norrbottens län, Västerbotten County and Västerbottens län. Time: around 15:48 UT or 2026-02-22 16:53. Travelling SW. Duration between 15 and 20 seconds. Showed signs of concurrent and delayed sound; described as like a thunder strike 4 minutes after the event. Heard over 200 km away. White smoke trail observation lasted 45 seconds. Colour: Blue, Light Blue, Red.  

Meteor Airburst off the coast of New Zealand

2026, January 30. New Zealand, east of South Island. Airburst. Time: 23:25 NZT or 10:25:27UT. Coordinates: (45.0S, 174.5E). Altitude: 89 km. Energy: e = 3.4e10, -e = 0.12 or 120,000 kg/TNT. Total Velocity: 71.07 km/s. This high velocity is quite characteristic of objects originating from further out in the solar system or those meeting Earth head-on in its orbit. Sound: Concurrent and delayed sound heard. Duration: 5+ sec. Direction: WSW? (further data to come). Left behind a glowing contrail. Seen the length of the South Island and in the southern parts of the North Island. Canterbury Region, Manawatū-Whanganui Region, Marlborough Region, Nelson Region, Otago Region, Southland Region, Tasman Region, Wellington Region. 

A Marine Animal Disturbance alert should be noted for the region from Stewart Island in the south to Hawkes Bay in the North. Further data regarding the meteor flux before and after this event in later days. A broad precautionary watch for the Chatham Islands, Farewell Spit and even the west side coastal regions of the country. 

Historically, the airbursts in the southern regions have shown a detrimental effect over a large area.  So far Tasmania has reported no data; however, this island is in a data blind. Usually, any high activity in New Zealand can result in strandings in Tasmania. Therefore, a watch should be noted for species not commonly seen in stranding events, and it can be months after the incident stream has occurred.

Fireballs Aotearoa: Facebook

A second event:

2026, January 30. New Zealand. Fireball. Time: 22:32NZDT or 09:32 UT. Seen: Manawatū-Whanganui Region, Marlborough Region, Taranaki Region, Wellington Region  

Global Meteor Airburst Activity in 2025

On a global scale, meteor airburst activity in 2025 has been comparatively subdued. While localized atmospheric disturbances and cetacean strandings have been documented, the overall frequency of events has declined markedly relative to preceding years. The distribution of activity suggests that the situation, although notable, could have been considerably more severe under different conditions.

The temporal pattern of activity during the current year has been irregular. Elevated activity was recorded at the start of the year, followed by a pronounced decrease. A subsequent short-lived resurgence occurred before levels once again diminished. Spatially, the most active regions have been Northern Europe and the west coast of North America. Of particular interest is a recent airburst detected over Japan, which remains under ongoing investigation. Additionally, an unresolved case off the west coast of northern Africa coincided with cetacean strandings, raising questions about possible atmospheric or geophysical interactions.

As of September 2025, a total of 23 confirmed airbursts have been recorded worldwide. This figure falls below the long-term mean annual frequency of approximately 33 events. Fireball activity has also been comparatively limited, although several highly luminous events (“wow” events) have been observed. The progression of activity in the final four months of 2025 will be critical in determining whether the year’s total aligns with or diverges significantly from the established climatology of meteor airbursts.

In addition, Western Australia has experienced a notable outburst. This region, however, has historically exhibited persistent activity and continues to display a relatively stable background frequency of events.

Third airburst in Mexico region Updated 20250604

An airburst over land in Mexico brings the tally to three in just over 6 months. The cumulative energy released is 6.8 kt or 6,800,000 kg/TNT. The other two occurred over the Pacific Ocean. This meteor activity has profoundly affected cetacean activity in the region, with its ramifications felt north along the USA west coast. 

2025, May 31. Mexico, Hidalgo State, Xiliapa. Airburst. Coordinates: (98.8 W, 21.1 N). Time: 23:06. Energy: e = 38.6, -e = 1 or 1,000,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 47.3 km. Velocity: 17.8 km/sec.  

Also: 

2025, May 29. USA, Oregon, Cachalot (sperm whale). Adult male, measured approximately 53 ft long. Cause of death: It appears to have been due to a pre-mortem vessel strike interaction.

2025, June 1. UK, Cleethorpes. Dead dolphin.

2025, June 1. UK, Cleveleys beach. A dead porpoise. It’s the latest porpoise to wash up on a Fylde coast beach in recent months, with others discovered on beaches in Fleetwood and Blackpool.

2025, June 2. USA, Massachusetts, Cape Cod Bay. Fireball. Time: 20:07EDT Seen in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Rhode Island. A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for this region due to historical data showing it as a cetacean stranding hotspot. Update: Cancel Alert due to information suggesting this event was above the inland coast, not water. 

Large Long Duration Fireball in Fiji

2025, May 23. Fiji. Large Fireball. Duration: +1m. Fijians witnessed a fast-moving meteor. Fiji Met said it was debris from Halley's Comet.