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- Currently in D.C. — September 8, 2023: Clouds, rain and thunderstorms
Currently in D.C. — September 8, 2023: Clouds, rain and thunderstorms
Plus, Hurricane Lee churns towards the Atlantic record books.
Eric Holthaus & Myriam Vidal
September 07, 2023
The weather, currently.
A cloudy morning with thunderstorms and rain in the afternoon
Fiuu. It’s time to get those umbrellas out. I wish I hadn’t lost mine. The day starts cloudy and then we’ll see some rain, thunderstorms and possibly hail in the afternoon. The temperature will rise to 92°F, continuing the warm pattern we have been experiencing throughout the week. These scorching summer days have made me wonder, what are the best drinks to fight the heat? One of my personal favorites is pink lemonade. How about you? I say we all take five minutes during the day to enjoy our favorite beverage.
What you need to know, currently.
The 2023 hurricane season continues on a hyperactive pace.
On Thursday, Hurricane Lee underwent textbook rapid intensification from a Category 1 to a Category 4 in just 12 hours. It’s expected to become a Category 5 on Friday — and potentially one of the strongest hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Hourlee snapshots of Hurricane #Lee today.
Ridiculous intensification over a 12-hour period from 70 kt to 115 kt.
— Dr. Kim Wood (@DrKimWood)
9:06 PM • Sep 7, 2023
Tropical Storm Margot also formed on Thursday, way out off the coast of Africa — the season’s 14th storm of the year so far, matching the historical average for an entire season with nearly a week to go until the season’s midpoint.
Since Atlantic records began in 1851, only three other season have had 14 named storms this early in the year — 2005, 2011, 2020. Only 1933, 2004, and 2005 have had 3 or more Cat 4+ hurricanes so early in the year. If you know your hurricanes, you know that those seasons are not the ones you want to be compared against.
It’s likely that Hurricane Lee will stay relatively safely offshore for at least the next 7 days or so, although some models have it coming worryingly close to New England or Atlantic Canada by September 17th or 18th.
#HurricaneLee will be making headlines for a *long* time.
— Greg Postel (@GregPostel)
1:11 AM • Sep 7, 2023
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 networks in Florida:
