Currently in Portland — October 6th, 2023: The sun makes a triumphant return

The weather, currently.

Here it is, our warm and sunny weekend! Friday and Saturday will both have high temps in the low 80s, with overnight lows hovering around 60. These should both be ideal days for whatever outdoor activities you prefer. Sunday will also be lovely (and bit more my style) with high temps reaching the mid-70s and a few clouds in the sky. Monday is likely to take a sharp turn back to the cold and wet, so let’s be sure to soak up as much vitamin D as we can in the next three days — plus take this (perhaps final) opportunity to get outdoor tasks done. Cleaning the gutters is at the top of my to-do list, but I’m not sure I’ll get that ambitious. But, at a minimum, some seeds and bulbs are going in to help prepare for a colorful early spring.

— Stella Harris

What you need to know, currently.

New data show that September was largest monthly climate anomaly ever observed globally.

The bright red bar at the right side of the graph below is a shocking summation of this year’s extraordinary climate extremes: September 2023 was 0.5°C warmer than any other September in history — a margin that surpasses all of the combined warming of the past 20+ years. It was so unusually hot that climate scientists were left speechless.

Floods, fires, heat waves, droughts — this year has already featured disasters on a massive scale, and the growing El Niño is likely to compound those disasters in the months to come.

We are in a climate emergency — and each of us are already part of the team that can build a better future.

But I get it. This kind of news is so difficult to hear and decide what to do with. Each of us are only one person, and sometimes it feels completely overwhelming to watch the world literally spiral out of control.

Our sister publication, The Phoenix, has some advice for how to navigate your emotions, join with others, and take meaningful action.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

Currently Sponsorships are short messages we co-write with you to plug your org, event, or climate-friendly business with Currently subscribers. It’s a chance to boost your visibility with Currently — one of the world’s largest daily climate newsletters — and support independent climate journalism, all at the same time. Starting at just $105.

One of my favorite organizations, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, serves as a hub of mutual aid efforts focused on climate action in emergencies — like hurricane season. Find mutual aid network near you and join, or donate to support existing networks: