Currently in Chicago — June 27, 2023: Clouds then clearing Tuesday for some sunshine.

The weather, currently.

Takeaways for Chicago's weather:

1. Putting Dent In Drought This Week

2. Starting With 70s, Ending With 80s

3. Some Weekend Rain But Dry Hours Too

Clouds then clearing on Tuesday as highs hit the lower 70s. A mix of sun and clouds Wednesday with a scattered afternoon shower or thunderstorm possible as highs warm into the lower 80s. Warmer for the end of the week with highs hitting the middle 80s Thursday and Friday. Some scattered showers and thunderstorms both days with more sun Thursday compared to Friday. Lower 80s for highs this weekend with a few showers and thunderstorms possible but many dry hours. Cooler along the lakefront most days this week with highs 5 to 10 degrees cooler.

— Tim McGill

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What you can do, currently.

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What you need to know, currently.

El Niño, the periodic warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean, is back — and it’s getting worse fast.

New data out Monday shows that El Niño has now officially moved into “moderate” territory — with tropical Pacific water temperatures already up to 1.0°C higher than normal. That’s expected to keep growing quickly over the next few months, with a worst-case estimate from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology showing a peak warming of 3.2°C by November — which would be the strongest El Niño ever measured, by far. Even an average of global predictions now show a peak warming of 2.2°C — meaning that only the El Niños that began in 1982, 1997, and 2015 would be stronger.

The implications of an El Niño this strong are difficult to underestimate. In 2015-16, more than 60 million people worldwide experienced hunger due to drought made worse by the El Niño. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia suffered its worst coral bleaching event in history, with about 30% of the reef losing most of its corals. Pacific Islanders faced a string of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded.

Initial research shows that this year’s El Niño could cost the struggling global economy nearly $3 trillion.

—Eric Holthaus