Currently in Chicago — July 11, 2023: Strong storms could bring more much needed rain.

The weather, currently.

Takeaways for Chicago's weather:

1. Periods of strong storms Tuesday & Wednesday

2. Warmer end to week and weekend

3. More much needed rain

We should put a dent in our drought this week with periods of strong thunderstorms possible both early and late Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs should hit the upper 80s Wednesday and then slide into the upper 70s Thursday but cooler lakeside both days. Biggest threat from storms is large hail and damaging winds. Best chances for storms are early and late in the day and that continues into Thursday too with highs in the lower 80s but cooler lakeside. Mostly cloudy Friday with highs in the middle 80s. A warm weekend that should be mostly dry aside from a few scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs should hit the middle 80s both Saturday and Sunday.

— Tim McGill

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What you can do, currently.

The climate emergency doesn’t take the summer off. In fact — as we’ve been reporting — we’re heading into an El Niño that could challenge historical records and is already supercharging weather and climate impacts around the world.

When people understand the weather they are experiencing is caused by climate change it creates a more compelling call to action to do something about it.

If these emails mean something important to you — and more importantly, if the idea of being part of a community that’s building a weather service for the climate emergency means something important to you — please chip in just $5 a month to continue making this service possible.

Thank you!!

What you need to know, currently.

India’s crucial monsoon rains have had a rollercoaster season so far.

The India-wide rainfall index has now officially shifted to an above-average season — though the season itself has been anything but average. During the onset phase in early June, rains were at least a week late, bringing prolonged heatwaves and droughts across the entire subcontinent. Now, those same rains have shifted into overdrive bringing massive flooding that has swept away cars and homes and bridges.

This “weather whiplash” is a characteristic of climate change, where extra heat in the atmosphere manifests itself in a sped-up hydrologic cycle, paradoxically bringing more intense droughts and more intense floods sometimes to the same place in quick succession.

Monday was the rainiest July day in Delhi in at least 40 years, forcing authorities to close schools. Further north in the Himalayas, more than 700 roads were closed by mudslides and washouts.

—Eric Holthaus