The weather, currently.

Breezy but otherwise tranquil weather will persist through the end of the week as a large-scale ridge of high pressure continues to build over the eastern United States. Isolated showers and drizzles will be possible again near the coast, but skies will be mostly clear and sunny otherwise. A consistent breeze will be present, with winds gusting between 20-30 miles per hour, which will bring a fresher feel to the air than the temperatures in the mid to upper 80s imply. The long-term forecast calls for no notable changes for the rest of the week, with the only rain coming as light and brief coastal showers. King tides enhanced by sea level rise this weekend through Halloween could be the highest of the season, with moderate sunny-day saltwater flooding likely in many mainly-coastal spots.

El tiempo, actualmente.

El tiempo tranquilo y con brisa persistirá hasta el final de la semana a medida que una zona de alta presión a gran escala continúa fortaleciéndose sobre el este de los Estados Unidos. Volverán a ser posibles lloviznas aisladas cerca de la costa, pero el cielo estará mayormente despejado y soleado en el resto. Habrá una brisa constante, con ráfagas entre 20 y 30 millas por hora, lo que traerá una sensación más fresca al aire de lo que implican las temperaturas en los rangos medio a alto de los 80 grados. El pronóstico a largo plazo no prevé cambios notables para el resto de la semana, y la única lluvia será ligera y breve en forma de aguaceros costeros. Grandes mareas astronómicas acentuadas por el aumento en el nivel del mar pudieran ser las peores de la temporada este fin de semana hasta Halloween, con hasta moderadas inundaciones de agua salada en ausencia de lluvias para muchos puntos mayormente en la costa.

—John Morales

What you need to know, currently.

Hurricane Otis made landfall early Wednesday near Acapulco, Mexico at Category 5 strength — the strongest hurricane landfall in recorded history on Mexico’s west coast — and the strongest ever in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Initial reports show a partial collapse of a shopping mall, and palm trees stripped completely bare of leaves due to the strong winds. The city has almost completely lost power. The National Hurricane Center, in its final advisory before the storm struck, called it a “nightmare scenario.”

According to the Washington Post (gift link), Otis strengthened from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in just 12 hours — the fastest rate ever recorded for a hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and one of the fastest rates in world history.

Before Otis, no hurricane stronger than a Category 1 had ever made landfall near Acapulco in recorded history, and the storm’s extremely rapid intensification mean residents and visitors there had less than 24 hours warning before Otis made landfall. On a personal note, it’s hard to imagine going to bed expecting some rain and strong winds, and waking up to a city in catastrophic chaos.

Around the world, warming ocean waters are making extremely rapid intensification of tropical cyclones like Otis more likely. There have been only eight instances of storms strengthening as fast as Otis in recorded history (with comprehensive records dating back more than 70 years) — five of them have occurred in just the past 8 years.

— 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: