Currently en Puerto Rico — 29 de agosto, 2023: En ausencia de lluvia, calor

El tiempo, currently.

Vientos del sureste permitirán que el tiempo sofocante continúe en Puerto Rico el martes a medida que traen aire cálido y húmedo del mar Caribe hacia la isla. Las áreas urbanas y costeras del norte y oeste experimentarán el calor más intenso, donde la temperatura aparente alcanzará los 108 a 111 grados. Una Advertencia de Calor estará vigente. El este, el sur y otras áreas urbanas se sentirán tan calientes como 107 grados. Una banda de humedad elevada dará lugar a una noche más lluviosa el martes, pero el día será típico con aguaceros localizados en el centro-norte y noroeste.

—John Toohey-Morales

What you need to know, currently.

Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to make landfall early Wednesday morning as a major hurricane, just north of the Tampa Bay metro area.

For context, the Tampa Bay region has been incredibly lucky over the past 75 years, so even a glancing blow from a major hurricane could produce a record-setting coastal flood.

Idalia will be tracking over record-warm ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico, made warmer due to the burning of fossil fuels — which is part of why it's expected to be a major hurricane at landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

Every time there’s a hurricane disaster, this needs to be said, so I’ll say it again now: Climate change is making hurricanes worse.

Sea level is rising, making storm surge worse. Ocean temperatures are rising, making rapid intensification more likely. The air is warmer, which means it can hold more water vapor and rain harder.

Climate change is making hurricanes worse.

What you can do, currently.

The fires in Maui have struck at the heart of Hawaiian heritage, and if you’d like to support survivors, here are good places to start:

The fires burned through the capital town of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the ancestral and present home to native Hawaiians on their original unceded lands. One of the buildings destroyed was the Na ‘Aikane o Maui cultural center, a gathering place for the Hawaiian community to organize and celebrate.

If you’d like to help the community rebuild and restore the cultural center, a fund has been established that is accepting donations — specify “donation for Na ‘Aikane” on this Venmo link.