Currently — May 24th, 2022

The weather, currently.

The extremely hot and dry weather for the past two months across South Asia was 30 times more likely to occur with the added global heating from fossil fuels, a new study found on Monday. The research group World Weather Attribution made the finding after conducting a rapid diagnosis of the ongoing heat wave using 20 climate models.

Meanwhile, near-record heat continues this week in South Asia. In New Delhi, India, the temperature will climb each day this week, reaching 106 degrees F (41 degrees C) by the weekend and continuing to climb next week. The forecast for Dadu, Pakistan — one of the hottest places in the world right now — will peak at a scorching 121 degrees F (49.4 degrees C) at the end of this week.

—Eric Holthaus

What you need to know, currently.

The global power grid is in for the test of all tests this summer. In fact, because of climate change’s various effects, including heat waves, droughts and wildfires, many areas in the U.S. are at risk of blackouts this summer.

Hot, sweltering summers mean more people need power to cool their homes. But as rising temperatures increase the demand for electricity, droughts reduce the amount of power available.

According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation annual summer assessment released last week, the Upper Midwest is facing a capacity shortfall — which is when the demand for energy is greater than the supply that’s available — resulting in a higher risk of energy emergencies, like blackouts.

The West Coast could also face a power shortage emergency. Drought conditions in the West also means that there is less water for hydroelectric power and in turn, power plants.

All in all, the climate crisis is threatening the power grid.