Currently in Philadelphia — October 25, 2023: Warmer than it should be

The weather, currently.

If you’ve been feeling like the weather doesn’t quite match the season, you’re not alone. As things continue to warm up, the National Weather Service says we could see record-setting temperatures (for this time of year) by the end of the week. As for today, things are looking mostly sunny, with more cloud cover than yesterday. We’ll have a solid breeze, and the chilly morning will warm up quickly, with temperatures reaching a high of 71˚F. That’s more than warm enough to sit out on the porch and carve a climate-change-themed image into your gourd of choice.

— Abe Musselman

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:

3