Currently in Boston — August 25th, 2022

Meteorological summer ends on the 31st of the month and we have probably another two or three days where many areas will reach 90°F. When all is said and done, this is likely to be one of the driest and hottest summers on record for greater Boston, although rainfall to the South the past few days has knocked Providence, Hartford, and Worcester out of the top 20 driest summers. Temperatures will reach 85°F to 90°F on Thursday with plenty of sunshine. On Friday readings will once again be in the 80s to near 90°F and there will be a small risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. The weekend looks dry and sunny with comfortable humidity

—Dave Epstein

What you need to know, currently.

A new study published in elife looks at which mammals are most likely to hold up in the face of climate change. Ecological disruption has already caused vast upheaval in the natural world and a report from the World Wildlife Foundation found that sixty percent of wildlife had been lost between 1970 and 2014. Much of this is due to habitat loss, but climate change will only exacerbate the problem.

The study in elife found that animals with extended life spans and low birth rates are more able to adapt to extreme weather. Elephants, tigers, chimps, llamas, and American bison are all predicted to fare better than species such as the Arctic fox, the common shrew, the stout, and the Tundra vole.