Currently in Austin — September 20, 2023: More heat, more crickets

The weather, currently.

Have you seen crickets where you live? Parts of Austin, including the State Capitol and the UT campus, report swarms of the loud revelers, their population boom due to our extremely dry summer and their late-night partying inspired by recent rain and outdoor lights. At least it’s fodder for conversation in a seemingly never-ending summer, which continues Wednesday with sunny skies, a high near 99 and heat index values as high as 102. Wednesday night brings increasing clouds, with a low around 76, and an above-average chance of crickets.

-Anne Hebert

What you need to know, currently.

There was a spectacular display of northern lights — aurora borealis — on Tuesday, caused by a direct hit from particles sent Earthward from a solar explosion.

We’re in the middle of a multi-year peak of activity on the sun, so northern lights should be more common than in previous years. And the best time to see them is during the fall and winter, when the temperatures aren’t yet too cold, and the nights are getting nice and long.

One of my favorite websites, spaceweather.com, will keep you up-to-date on upcoming chances to see the aurora.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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