Currently in Los Angeles — August 4, 2023: Warming up this weekend

The weather, currently.

Pretty much the nicest day since I’ve been back in SoCal from the east coast. At least nice in the way I like it: Temps in the low 80s, a good sea breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. Speaking of the east coast, I’m still struck by how much more comfortable 83 degrees in LA feels than in New York. Expect one more day of seasonable temperatures today. Over the weekend, it will hit around 90 in Downtown LA, with mid to upper 90s in the valleys.

— Ade Adeniji

What you need to know, currently.

Government officials in Iran suddenly declared a nationwide holiday due to ‘unprecedented heat’ this week, an alarming development in this record-breaking warm year.

Shops, government offices, banks, and schools have been closed across Iran since Wednesday, and reports say the nationwide shutdown could be extended further. One report calls it the first-ever nationwide shutdown due to heat in world history. On Tuesday, the heat index at Persian Gulf International Airport in southern Iran reached 149°F (65.0°C).

A new daily record in electricity consumption during last month’s heatwave in Iran have prompted some inside Iran to speculate that the shutdown is more likely due to a shortage of hydropower generating capacity, perhaps due to government mismanagement of water resources.

Power outages were frequent during last year’s nationwide protests, but this year — despite higher temperatures — electricity has been more reliable, meaning that government water managers may have drawn down reservoirs beyond critical levels in an attempt to prevent public outrage under the new president Ebrahim Raisi.

Power consumption has also hit record highs in recent weeks in Egypt, and power outages are occurring in Iraq and Lebanon.

—Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

Currently is now a member of the Covering Climate Now partnership, a resource-sharing initiative devoted to making sure the biggest story in human history is told in ways that resonate with everyone.

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