Currently in San Francisco — September 13, 2023: Sunny, windy Wednesday

The weather, currently.

It’s been a dissonant experience to live in Northern California this year as the southern half of the state has endured such strange and at times unnerving weather patterns. As SoCal residents tolerate unusually high humidity this week due to Tropical Storm Jova, the Bay Area continues to luxuriate in a period of relative calm.

Wednesday will be another mild day in San Francisco with daytime temps eventually hitting the high 60s, the sun showing up strong in the afternoon and the winds gusting up to 18mph. At times this week, the fog has been more persistent than forecast, and it will roll back in Wednesday evening as the temperature drops to the mid-50s.

— Britta Shoot

What you need to know, currently.

Britta Shoot is our new San Francisco writer, who has written for publications as varied as Bay Nature and the Economist. As we head into this El Niño winter, we’ll also be experimenting with hyperlocal daily weather newsletter across the Bay Area — waitlists open now!

Officials say more than 5,000 people have been killed in Libya after intense rainfall broke through dams and unleashed a torrent of water toward the coastal city of Derna on Monday.

As much as 25% of Derna (pop. 125,000) was washed away by the floods, and local responders have been absolutely overwhelmed. The UN and International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have mobilized to bring relief to the region.

The rainfall was caused by Storm Daniel, a “medicane” — a hurricane-like cyclonic storm that formed in the central Mediterranean Sea and also brought intense rainfall to parts of Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. Medicanes like Daniel are expected to grow stronger as the Mediterranean Sea warms due to fossil fuel-driven climate change.

Libya has been enmeshed in civil conflict for much of the past 12 years, so some key infrastructure — like dams — have fallen into disrepair or damage. Worse, internal conflict has delayed aid shipments. Even before the floods, Derna had no functioning hospital due in part to the long-running conflict with the ruling government of western Libya.

“This is not just a natural disaster, this is a human disaster as well as a result of the neglect of the city,” Hani Shennib, president of the National Council on US Libya Relations told Al Jazeera.

To support the relief efforts in Libya, consider donating to the Islamic Relief fund.

— 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: