Currently — May 17th, 2022

The weather, currently.

Did you catch Sunday night’s total lunar eclipse? (Here was our view from Currently headquarters in Minneapolis!)

The unmistakable red hue of the moon that awed skywatchers across the Americas was a result of sunlight bent through all simultaneous sunsets in the Earth’s atmosphere on its way from the sun to the moon’s surface and then back to Earth and into your eyes — a remarkable journey that, if you stop for even a moment to think about, is worth a moment of celebration that we are able to understand and witness.

Breathtaking photos of the event are still trickling in to spaceweather.com, my favorite go-to resource for moments like this. The celestial experts there said that Sunday’s eclipse may have even been redder and darker than normal thanks to the volcanic mega-eruption in Tonga earlier this year that spewed thousands of tons of ash into the upper atmosphere.

Despite what some might have you believe, lunar eclipses like this are a joy to witness together. Looking up in the sky with wonder on a planet worth saving is one of the things that is worth fighting for.

— Eric Holthaus

What you need to know, currently.

An early season heatwave will persist into this week across the southern half of the United States. Last week, places like Chicago and central Texas began seeing extremely high temperatures that are typical of mid-late summer this past week.

Meteorologists say the sudden rise in temperature, reaching the high 90s across the south-central United States, marks the first official heatwave of 2022.

Already the heat has lead to an uptick in power demand in Texas, where six power generation facilities failed. Texans were asked to conserve power over the weekend. In New Mexico the heat has helped to fuel a massive wildfire that is now the largest in the state’s history.

These extreme temperatures are the result of a dip in the jet stream––the band of air, which would usually carry and distribute this hot air across the eastern part of the U.S.

Heatwaves have increased in frequency in recent years, from an average of two per year in the 1960s to six per year in the 2010s according to the EPA.

And, because heatwaves have also become more intense than they were a few decades ago, it’s imperative that every American know how to navigate this extreme weather.

“Heatwaves and ‘cold’ waves are a natural part of everyday weather,” says Anthony Torres, Currently’s Chief Meteorologist. “However, as we observe gradual increases in average temperatures due to climate change, we see that the common heatwaves end up being that much hotter.”

Currently predicts this heatwave will last for at least the next week, and folks who live in the impacted states can expect to feel temperatures roughly 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than usual for this time of year.

Here are some ways to prepare for, and outlast, this heatwave and others that we might see this year:

1. Prepare a small emergency kit in case the power goes out, with things like candles and matches or a first aid kit.

2. Stay hydrated, and drink plenty of water and nourishing foods.

3. Monitor your health and the weather. Sign up for our SMS/texting service to stay up to date on the weather that’s impacting your area.

Sign up for our SMS/texting service to stay up to date on the weather that’s impacting your area.

Text ‘JOIN’ to (833) 861-1130.Read this article on our website: https://currentlyhq.com/global/may-heatwave-breaks-records/

— Zaria Howell