Currently in Portland — August 29, 2023: A good chance of rain

Plus, Idalia approaches landfall near Tampa Bay.

AuthorAuthor

Eric Holthaus & Stella Harris
August 28, 2023

The weather, currently.

Finally, some clouds and a good chance of rain.

Y’all, I’ve never been so excited to see a stretch of cloudy days in the 70s in the forecast. We’ve even got a decent chance of seeing some rain—or at least some sprinkles. Tuesday will be a cloudy day with a good chance of some rain, especially in the afternoon. I’m sure all of our yards—not to mention the wildlife—will appreciate this cool, refreshing break. And although autumn is still almost a month away, I’m looking forward to mornings with enough chill to feel like fall.

— Stella Harris

What you need to know, currently.

Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to make landfall early Wednesday morning as a major hurricane, just north of the Tampa Bay metro area.

For context, the Tampa Bay region has been incredibly lucky over the past 75 years, so even a glancing blow from a major hurricane could produce a record-setting coastal flood.

Idalia will be tracking over record-warm ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico, made warmer due to the burning of fossil fuels — which is part of why it's expected to be a major hurricane at landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

Every time there’s a hurricane disaster, this needs to be said, so I’ll say it again now: Climate change is making hurricanes worse.

Sea level is rising, making storm surge worse. Ocean temperatures are rising, making rapid intensification more likely. The air is warmer, which means it can hold more water vapor and rain harder.

Climate change is making hurricanes worse.

What you can do, currently.

The fires in Maui have struck at the heart of Hawaiian heritage, and if you’d like to support survivors, here are good places to start:

Support Kanaka | supportkanaka.carrd.co

Letʻs move money to movements | linktr.ee/hawaiipeoplesfund

The fires burned through the capital town of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the ancestral and present home to native Hawaiians on their original unceded lands. One of the buildings destroyed was the Na ‘Aikane o Maui cultural center, a gathering place for the Hawaiian community to organize and celebrate.

If you’d like to help the community rebuild and restore the cultural center, a fund has been established that is accepting donations — specify “donation for Na ‘Aikane” on this Venmo link.