Frank Hoogerbeets, who is based in the Netherlands, has been ridiculed for his claims which he says uses planetary alignments to work out when seismic activity on Earth will increase.

His "non-scientific" system is rubbished by mainstream geologists, but he claims he is slowly proving there is something in his theory which says the alignments of planets can create a gravitational pull on our world, causing tremors to strike. 

A powerful magnitude-7.3 earthquake last night rocked the northern border between Iran and Iraq, killing more than 348 people in Iran and seven in Iraq and injuring thousands more.

He told Express.co.uk: "The big quake in Iraq/Iran was forecast four days before in this video.

"Even Iran was mentioned as a possible location for a six to seven magnitude earthquake."

He provided a link to a YouTube video he uploaded on November 8, and later Facebook and Twitter warnings he issued hours before the earthquake.

He said: "The forecast was mainly based on a software algorithm I developed last July/August. 

"The algorithm allows us to see when critical planetary geometry occurs. 

"The software depicts this in a chart called the SSGI chart, short for Solar System Geometry Index. 

"This time the planetary alignments didn't seem that critical, but the SSGI peaks as shown in the videos, were unmistakable."

He warned to expect more earthquakes towards the end of the month, adding: "A next critical time-frame for a possible large quake will be from the 28th to the 30th this month."

In the video Mr Hoogerbeets warned his system was showing that between November 11 to 16 it was a "critical period" which could see up to a magnitude seven earthquake.

He said: "We also see a seismic increase in Asia.

"So Pakistan should be on watch, India, China definitely, Afghanistan also, possibly Iran."

However, he also mentioned warnings for the Pacific, Mexico, and New Zealand.

Just hours before the Iran-Iraq quake, he posted on Facebook and Twitter: "Be on watch: larger quakes may be upcoming in the next few days."

In a subsequent video released today he spoke about a magnitude 5.9 quake which hit off the coast of Honshu, Japan, followed by a 6.7 in Costa Rica early this morning.

Mr Hoogerbeets said he expected more activity to come. 

He said: "We are not out of the woods for sure, we may have another six pointer, possibly a big six or maybe another seven.

"The counter is only at seven this year. Seven major earthquakes, that is really below average. 

"Maybe the planet is going to make up for it in the last two months."

He warned Europe also could face a serious event.

He said: "Europe in general could have a big quake coming up, maybe Romania."

Critics say that because Mr Hoogerbeets gives warnings over a timeframe of a number of days, and issues warnings for several areas each time, across the globe, occasionally he will seem to predict such events.

His website Ditrianum.org issues regular earthquake warnings when Mr Hoogerbeets, 48, thinks the alignments of celestial bodies mean tectonic activity on earth is going to increase.

Yet, he has several followers who believe he is right.

Mr Hoogerbeets has made several predictions with distinctly mixed results.

He points to several examples where he says he was right, amid claims his accuracy is improving. 

There have been significant quakes after some of his warnings, but he is no longer specific about where they will strike or the exact day.

In December 2015 he was mocked after predicting a powerful magnitude eight earthquake that could "change the world forever" would strike on the 11 or 12 of the month, only for it to fail to materialise.

There was also the much publicised mega quake he warned was about to hit California in May 2015 - but it too never arrived.

But Mr Hoogerbeets continues with his work and has asked for donations on his YouTube channel.

So should we fear his latest warning?

Mr Hoogerbeets admits he also relies on messages from spirits, crop circle formations, and so-called "key Earth dates" in order to predict when earthquakes will strike.

Astronomer Phil Plait, who writes for New Scientist, previously said of his predictions: "Let me be clear: No, it won't. It can't. 

"There is simply no way an alignment of planets can cause an earthquake on Earth. It's literally impossible."

Mr Hoogerbeets said seismologists needed to take note because "whenever the three objects in our solar system lined up there was a significant earthquake anytime from the day before to one or two days afterwards".