Currently in Chicago — July 8, 2024: Clouds and storms ahead

The weather, currently.

As we move into the second week of July, the clouds are gathering overhead and the chances of rain and thunderstorms begin to increase. As the temps dip down to around 70 tonight, Monday will bring a high in the mid-80s and increased chance of showers. We could see thunderstorms anytime from now through Wednesday night, but the temps will stay moderate and the humidity shouldn’t be too oppressive.

A different deluge has begun in my backyard: zucchini and basil are on the menu almost every night. Once the eggplant and peppers join in, it will be ratatouille season again!

— Katje Sabin

What you can do, currently.

A Media Matters analysis found that last year — the hottest calendar year on record — network coverage of climate actually declined in the US. What’s worse, just 12% of reports about climate change mentioned fossil fuels as the driving cause. The media still reported on extreme weather, but stopped short of making the climate connection.

Independent climate journalism like Currently is needed more than ever. And this year, with all of these weather warnings already underway, we’ll unfortunately have plenty of opportunities to do better.