It has been an eventful few weeks for storm trackers.

This article was written from the perspective of William Conroy, Ursa Space's Maritime Product Lead.

Previously, Bill has worked at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's Maritime Safety Office and is a veteran of the US Coast Guard.

Every other summer, thousands of sailors converge on the south coast of England to compete in one of the marquee events on the yacht racing calendar.

This year’s Fastnet Race took place over seven days from July 22 to July 28. It was the 50th edition of the biennial race, and featured the largest fleet ever assembled, with 430 yachts taking part.

The 625-nautical mile course begins near Cowes on the Isle of Wight, rounds Fastnet Rock off the Irish coast, and finishes in the Normandy port of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.

A bad situation took a turn for the worse when Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal and began targeting Ukraine’s food export facilities.

A major grower and exporter of grain and oilseeds, Ukraine’s agriculture industry was already facing significant challenges due to the collapse of the Kakhovka Dam in early June. 

At stake is not only a vital sector for Ukraine’s economy, but a badly needed source of calories for many people around the world.

Throughout this year, the oil market has exhibited a relatively
narrow range,
lacking a prominent narrative to propel prices significantly higher or lower.

However, the stability in prices should not be mistaken for a lack of /blog/oil-market-outlook/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news stories and /blog/economic-impact-china-reopening/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">factors that impact the supply and demand dynamics.

After the severe damage to the Kakhovka Dam on June 6, immediate attention shifted towards the nearby Zaporizhzhia facility, Europe's largest nuclear power plant.

The plant relies on water from the vast reservoir behind the dam to cool its reactors and spent fuel. While the flooded downstream area drew significant concern, the primary focus upstream was the decrease in water levels and its potential impact on the safety of the Zaporizhzhia plant.

In our /blog/ukr-dam-collapse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous article, we presented an overview of the severe flooding that occurred in specific regions following the catastrophic collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam, resulting in the Dnipro River overflowing and inundating parts of southern Ukraine.

Today, we bring you updated satellite imagery capturing the ongoing aftermath of the devastating event, even four days after the dam breach on the morning of June 6.

The collapse of a major dam has unleashed profound concerns over the damage caused by widespread flooding, as the waters from the Dnipro River gush across southern Ukraine.

Mass evacuations are underway downriver from the Nova Kakhovka Dam, the largest reservoir in Ukraine, which sits about 20 miles (30 km) east of Kherson, a city with a pre-war population of approximately 300,000.

It was the strongest storm to hit Guam in over two decades. Typhoon Mawar hammered the Pacific island with sustained winds over 140 miles per hour and torrential rain, knocking out power to most of the 150,000 residents and causing widespread flooding.

Fortunately, there were no reported fatalities or major injuries on Guam, which is also a critical hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific.

The South China Sea is home to significant mineral deposits, oil & gas reserves, and major shipping lanes, making it one of the world’s geopolitical hotspots.

With much at stake, China has been locked in a years-long contest with its neighbors over competing claims of sovereignty.

One of the techniques to assert de facto control has involved hundreds of Chinese fishing boats, which cluster in large groups as a display of force, comprising an unconventional naval force, known as the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM).

Ithaca, N.Y. and Santa Barbara, Calif. – May 18, 2023 – Ursa Space Systems, a leader in satellite intelligence, and Umbra, a leader in advanced space radar technology, today jointly announced that they are partnering to bring advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) analytics to a global market through Ursa’s suite of subscription and custom intelligence products.