Currently in Portland — June 21, 2023: A few clouds in the sky, but the sun will be strong, bringing warm, welcome temps in the mid-70s.

The weather, currently.

What a wild long weekend! I didn't get impressive hail at my place but saw some incredible pictures that looked like something straight out of an ice maker. I did get an enthusiastic thunder and lightning storm that briefly knocked out my power. Starting on Wednesday, the weather should be considerably less exciting—and I'm looking forward to that. Wednesday marks the return of warm weather—as well it should—it's the first day of summer, after all! Wednesday will bring plenty of sunshine and a high temp in the mid-70s and overnight temps down to the 50s. The next few days should all be pretty warm, with temps in the 70s and 80s becoming the norm. So hopefully I stop reaching for the sweaters and throw blankets and start grabbing the sunscreen instead!

— Stella Harris

What you need to know, currently.

The summer solstice is one of my favorite holidays, celebrating the peak of life — both its warmth and its impermanence. Some version of the solstice is celebrated in nearly every culture, whether it’s block parties and barbeque, or holding hands around a bonfire in Scandanavia. It’s the fleetingness of life, of course, that makes it so special. That is what the solstice is all about.

Solstice comes from the Latin words sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still). It’s a moment when the sun literally stands still in the sky in relation to the other stars, and happens twice per year when Earth’s axis of rotation tilts to its most extreme point — 23.44 degrees.

In June, the Earth’s axis tilts towards the sun, creating 24-hours of daylight for places north of the Arctic Circle, and 24-hours of darkness for places south of the Antarctic Circle. Everywhere on Earth experiences either their longest or shortest night of the year.

In Sweden, one of the northernmost countries on Earth, the solstice is a major event called midsommar. In Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, the time between sunset and sunrise is only 5 hours and 27 minutes, and parties last all night.

To celebrate this year’s solstice, here’s an excerpt from my friend (and favorite poet)’s newest collection: Ephemera, by Sierra DeMulder.

—Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

Currently is entirely member funded, and right now we need your support!

Today we’re starting our annual summer membership drive — with a goal to double our membership base over the next six weeks which will guarantee this service can continue throughout this year’s hurricane season. We’ll need 747 new members by July 31 to make this goal happen.

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!!