Currently in Portland — July 13, 2023: Full sunshine is back this Thursday, as temps heat up.

The weather, currently.

The break was nice while it lasted, but we’re going to see temps rise for the next few days, culminating in a weekend with highs in the 90s. For Thursday, expect to see the sunshine all day, with a high temp reaching the mid-80s. If you’re a heat-avoider like I am, Thursday is a great chance to finish up any last-minute chores that’ll help keep you inside for the weekend. Or, if you’ve been eagerly waiting for temps to get back into the 90s to enjoy the rivers, lakes, or beaches, I guess Thursday is your day to sort out your bathing suits and choose appropriate hats, sunglasses, and other hot weather accessories prior to weekend adventures!

— 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.

Water temperatures in Florida have gone off the charts, the latest sign that climate change is accelerating to new heights in 2023.

A buoy off of Murray Key near Everglades National Park soared to 96.8°F (36.0°C) on Monday, 10 degrees F higher than the average summer peak, and just shy of the 99.7°F (37.6°C) global ocean temperature record set in Kuwait in 2020.

That warm water is making life miserable on land, too. A running log of heat index values in Miami have reached unprecedented heights in recent weeks due in part to the proximity to the warm water. As of Wednesday, Miami’s heat index has reached at least 100°F (37.8°C) for 32 consecutive days.

Marine scientists have expressed alarm about the consequences of the extremely warm water on Florida’s fragile coral reefs, calling the current heat wave “horrific”.

“I’m most worried that this level of heat will persist — that the corals that are experiencing these warm waters will continue to experience these warm waters for the coming weeks,” Ian Enochs, who leads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Experimental Reef Lab at the University of Miami, told the Tampa Bay Times.

All this heat also bodes ominously for hurricane season, especially with the news this week that Farmers Insurance will move to cancel homeowners policies for more than 100,000 homes across the state due to the rising risks of hurricane season, sea level rise, and other climate disasters.

Currently’s John Morales, author of our daily Miami newsletter, has a helpful video explaining the context of Florida’s record-setting marine heatwave.

—Eric Holthaus