Currently in Portland — July 10, 2023: Delightfully cloudy

The weather, currently.

Y'all, I am so excited we're going to get some clouds on Monday. Yes, the weather this weekend was far more bearable, with temps reaching the mid-to-high 80s, but it's still been a little too hot for comfort. At least if you're trying to do anything other than sit in the shade with a cold beverage in hand. Monday, we'll start the day with clouds in the sky that will gradually burn off. But the high temp won't make it past the mid-70s, so it's a great day to catch up on any outdoor work you've been avoiding. (Or anything strenuous indoors, for that matter.) I'll be using the brief reprieve to plot my next garden adventure: planting an herb spiral!

— Stella Harris

What you can do, currently.

The climate emergency doesn’t take the summer off. In fact — as we’ve been reporting — we’re heading into an El Niño that could challenge historical records and is already supercharging weather and climate impacts around the world.

When people understand the weather they are experiencing is caused by climate change it creates a more compelling call to action to do something about it.

If these emails mean something important to you — and more importantly, if the idea of being part of a community that’s building a weather service for the climate emergency means something important to you — please chip in just $5 a month to continue making this service possible.

Thank you!!

What you need to know, currently.

A multi-day torrential rainstorm will focus tropical moisture along a narrow band of New England with possibly catastrophic results this week.

The National Weather Service is comparing this week’s rains to that of 2011’s Hurricane Irene, which produced billions of dollars of damage in New York and Vermont.

Widespread heavy rain of 3-5 inches per day for at least two days, and as much as 12 inches of rain per day, will quickly overwhelm smaller streams and lead to destructive flooding. The extend of the flooding should stretch from New York City northward into the Hudson Valley and include most of the state of Vermont, western New Hampshire, western Massachusetts, and western Connecticut. If you are in the affected areas, or have friends who are, it might be a good idea to give them a call or text just to give them a heads up.

—Eric Holthaus