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- Currently in Portland — August 3, 2023: Another sunny day, with a warm up on the way
Currently in Portland — August 3, 2023: Another sunny day, with a warm up on the way
Plus, Beijing gets its worst rainstorm in history.
Eric Holthaus & Stella Harris
August 02, 2023
The weather, currently.
Another sunny day in the high-80s.
Wednesday ended up a little warmer than expected, and Thursday will be more of the same, with a high around 88. The next few days are getting warmer still, with highs reaching the low to mid-90s. If you need an escape, the coast will be considerably cooler… so maybe google some travel plans if you’re already melting. And if you’re sticking it out, you can keep fantasizing about fall (like me) and thinking about fall plantings, Halloween decorations, and upcoming soup weather. And believe it or not, those things are related—if you start some fall veggies now, they’ll be ready to go into your soups in October!
What you need to know, currently.
Beijing has just endured 744.8 mm (29.3 in) of rain in just 72 hours — the heaviest three-day rainstorm in the recorded history of the capital city of China, dating back to at least 1860.
Images and video from Beijing and the surrounding area show absolutely torrential floodwaters and widespread effects as thousands of rescue workers have been dispatched to help look for survivors.
The rain came from the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri, which Currently covered last week as it was approaching the Philippines and Taiwan. Sea surface temperatures near the Chinese coast are well above average, contributing to the anomalous moisture in the air. In Hebei Province, just to the west of Beijing, the rainfall totals were even higher — as much as 1003 mm (39.5 in) over the past 72 hours.
The river course in the west of Beijing after the heavy rain
— Jim yang (@yangyubin1998)
11:14 AM • Aug 1, 2023
China’s hottest-ever temperature was also recorded this summer — as Sanbao in Xinjiang Province hit 52.2°C (126°F) on July 16th — which Currently also summarized as it happened.
What you can do, currently.
Currently is now a member of the Covering Climate Now partnership, a resource-sharing initiative devoted to making sure the biggest story in human history is told in ways that resonate with everyone.
Take a look at the list of our new partners and maybe find a new favorite podcast or website to support!