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- Currently in Portland — September 14, 2023: Warm with high fire risk
Currently in Portland — September 14, 2023: Warm with high fire risk
Plus, Earth now on track to breach 1.5°C this year.
Eric Holthaus & Stella Harris
September 14, 2023
The weather, currently.
A sunny Thursday with highs reaching the mid-80s.
The hot weather is here, which will delight some of you and dismay others. But however you feel about it, it’s worth knowing that the next few days also bring a high fire risk. So if your weekend plans involve camping or other outdoor adventures, be sure to carefully research the conditions in your intended destinations. For the rest of us staying in the city, Thursday’s highs in the upper 80s aren’t alarming, and the overnight cooldown will not only dip into the 50s but there will be a significant breeze, too. So mornings and evenings should still be pleasant for walks, runs, or garden work.
— Stella Harris
What you need to know, currently.
The latest checkup on 2023’s expected annual temperature has come in hot.
According to the August numbers from Berkeley Earth, there’s now a greater than 99% chance that this year ends as the hottest year in recorded history. Even more worryingly, there’s also now a 55% chance that 2023 will be the first year to top the 1.5°C threshold — eclipsing the mark set out by the world as a line in the sand at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.
Between the strengthening El Niño and the recent record warmth, the global average in 2023 is on pace to become the warmest year ever directly measured.
There is now even a significant chance (~55%) that temperatures in 2023 exceed the 1.5 °C threshold.
berkeleyearth.org/august-2023-te…
— Dr. Robert Rohde (@RARohde)
1:29 PM • Sep 13, 2023
From Berkeley Earth:
The surprisingly strong warming in June, July and August 2023, combined with the likelihood of a strong El Niño event, have increased the forecast for the rest of 2023.
Prior to the start of 2023, the likelihood of a 1.5 °C annual average this year was estimated at <1%. The fact that this forecast has shifted so greatly serves to underscore the extraordinarily progression of the last few months, whose warmth has far exceeded expectations.
Breaching the 1.5°C threshold would further lock in irreversible changes in the Earth’s land, ocean, ice, biosphere and atmosphere and underscores the need to continue ramping up pressure on governments and people in power to rapidly transition our economy to stop using fossil fuels. Read more at Berkeley Earth.
What you can do, currently.
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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:
