The weather, currently

It will still be quite breezy on Friday, but not as windy as on Thursday. Moisture will increase in the upper atmosphere, which will lead to more rain over the weekend, generating scattered showers during the afternoon but numerous showers overnight. Temperatures will also warm back up into the low to mid 80s. The rainiest day of the weekend will be Saturday, although most of the activity will be offshore and along the immediate coast. Things will dry out again by Sunday, and it seems as if high pressure will keep things stable well into next week. Despite the generally fair weather, please note that marine conditions are not so favorable due to strong, gusty winds, high surf, and dangerous rip currents.

El tiempo, actualmente.

El viernes seguirá habiendo brisa, pero el viento no será tan fuerte como el jueves. La humedad aumentará en la atmósfera superior, lo que provocará más lluvia durante el fin de semana, generando precipitaciones dispersas durante la tarde pero numerosos aguaceros durante la noche. Las temperaturas también volverán a subir hasta los rangos bajo a medio de los 80 grados. El día más lluvioso del fin de semana será el sábado, aunque la mayoría de la actividad se producirá en alta mar y a lo largo de la costa inmediata. El ambiente se secará nuevamente el domingo y parece que la alta presión mantendrá estabilidad en la atmósfera hasta bien entrada la próxima semana. A pesar del tiempo generalmente bueno, tenga en cuenta que las condiciones marinas no son tan favorables debido a los fuertes vientos, el alto oleaje y las peligrosas corrientes de resaca.

—John Morales

What you need to know, currently.

Dr. James Hansen is synonymous with climate science. His testimony to the US Congress in 1988 first brought mainstream attention to the issue, and his predictions and advocacy throughout the years have catalyzed meaningful action.

His newest paper, published Thursday, is an engaging and readable chronicle of what’s happened to make 2023 the odds-on favorite for the hottest year in recorded human history — and why this year may just be the start of a worrying acceleration in the rate of warming over the coming decades.

The paper is controversial, if only because it is so direct in its conclusions. It also directly argues for a global carbon tax, something climate scientists aren’t typically willing to say. Other scientists have responded to the paper by reiterating the scientific consensus.

The paper estimates that the warming trends of the past few decades, when referenced back to the massive atmospheric changes during the ice ages, strongly suggest that the world will warm by about 4.8ºC were atmospheric carbon dioxide to double from pre-industrial levels — a much higher estimate than the gold-standard IPCC’s 3ºC. As a side note: It's honestly shocking to me that we don't know this number better than this by now. It's literally the fate of the world within those error bars. And if we should be expecting more warming than we already are, we need to massively ramp up our attention to this issue.

Dr. Hansen and his co-authors held a press conference after the paper’s publication on Thursday, if you’d like to listen to them explain the implications of the paper in more detail. It runs about an hour and it’s worth listening to.

— Eric Holthaus

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: