Dutch seismologist behind Turkey quake prediction issues new warning, 'World could be...'

The world could be hit with another major quake in the days ahead, according to Dutch seismologist Frank Hoogerbeets, who soared to global fame and prominence after forecasting the disastrous seismic events in Turkey and Syria last month. Hoogerbeets, who bases his predictions on celestial body motions, posted a video on

on Monday warning that "the first week of March is going to be extremely critical."

“A convergence of critical planetary geometry around March 2 and 5 may result in large to very large seismic activity, possibly even a mega-thrust earthquake around March 3 and 4 and/or March 6 and 7,” said Hoogerbeats in the clip, who works as a scientist at the Solar System Geometry Survey (SSGEOS), in the clip. In the video itself, the seismologist asserted that now the power of the presumed approaching quake "may be well over 8 magnitude."

The latest forecast video, in case you missed it. https://t.co/qCyYXvlnzr

— Frank Hoogerbeets (@hogrbe)

'I'm not exaggerating. I'm not trying to create fear', says Hoogerbeets

According to Hoogerbeets, the affected area could span thousands of kilometres, from Russia's Far East's Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands all the way down to the Philippines and Indonesia. “I’m not exaggerating. I’m not trying to create fear. This is a warning,” insisted the scientist. 

As per a report by RT, The head of the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Survey of Russia’s Academy of Sciences, Danila Chebrov, has raised questions on Hoogerbeets’ predictions and further went on to describe him as an “amateur.” He says that the connection between the movements of the planets in the solar system and seismic activity on Earth “is rather weak, and it’s problematic to use it as the main prognostic tool.”

Hoogerbeets took to Twitter on February 3rd and said, "Sooner or later, there will be a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in this region (South-Central Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon)."

Sooner or later there will be a ~M 7.5 #earthquake in this region (South-Central Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon). #deprem pic.twitter.com/6CcSnjJmCV

— Frank Hoogerbeets (@hogrbe)

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria three days later. More than 50,000 people were killed in the disaster, and powerful aftershocks are still felt in the area today. 

Hoogerbeets, a Dutch seismologist, has made predictions in the past that have not come true. Susan Hough of the US Geological Survey stated earlier this month that no scientist has "ever predicted a major earthquake." Hough told NPR that the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria were completely coincidental. "It's the stopped clock that's right twice a day," she explained.