Fireworks remain prohibited in most of the East Bay.
Author Archives: Iris Kwok
Iris Kwok covers the environment for Berkeleyside through a partnership with Report for America. A former music journalist, her work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, San Francisco Examiner and San Francisco Classical Voice, among other publications. In her spare time, you can find her petting street cats or playing cello. She joined Berkeleyside in June 2022.
Posted inRoad Safety
Guerrilla bus benches continue popping up in Berkeley and Oakland
Transit activists have now installed 16 benches in the East Bay, including 7 in Oakland.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Storm rolling in Sunday is expected to be wetter, windier than what Oakland saw this week
Wind gusts up to 50 mph are forecast Sunday, and there’s a small chance of thunderstorms Monday.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Incoming storm could be strong enough to down trees in Oakland
An atmospheric river-driven storm is forecast to be windiest in the afternoon and evening Wednesday. Rain is expected to continue through next week.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Oakland got socked with 1.8 inches of rain this weekend
Sodden soils mean the risk of landslides, warns the National Weather Service.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Rain and thunder are likely in Oakland this weekend
Two to three inches of rain are forecast between Friday and Sunday.
Posted inNosh
Berkeley can’t enforce natural gas ban, federal court rules again
A federal court rejected a rehearing of Berkeley’s ban on new natural gas appliances, putting similar regulations in Oakland and elsewhere in doubt.
Posted inNature and the City
Beware: Deadly mushrooms are blooming across the East Bay
Death caps and Western destroying angels, both common in Oakland, thrive after rainfall, the East Bay park district warns.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Rain’s expected in Oakland Sunday—up to 3 inches by Thursday
The air quality index is forecast to rise above 100 this weekend, and there’s a small chance of thunderstorms early Monday.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Up to an inch of rain forecast for Oakland this week
Rain is expected to come in bursts from Monday to Saturday, with a thunderstorm possible early Thursday.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Oakland temperatures to reach high 80s on Thursday
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory from 11 a.m. Wednesday through Thursday evening.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Oakland, Berkeley will top mid-80 degrees this week, but cool quickly
Thursday and Friday are expected to be the hottest days.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Wildfire smoke turns Oakland air unhealthy and obscures the hills
Smoke from wildfires in Oregon and far North California brought the smell of smoke to the East Bay Tuesday, with AQI readings topping 150, a level unhealthy for the general public.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Smoke from Oregon and Northern California fires turns East Bay skies hazy
Unofficial sensors in many places in Oakland registered AQIs above 100 Wednesday.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Algae bloom that caused Lake Merritt fish kill is spotted along East Bay shoreline
Streaks of the tea-colored algae were first reported at the Berkeley Marina.
Posted inNosh
Union drive brewing at 3 Peet’s Coffee locations in Berkeley and Oakland
Workers at the Southside Berkeley, Temescal and Piedmont locations filed petitions for union elections on Friday.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Strong winds, heavy rain expected in East Bay Monday night
A flood watch and high wind warning are in effect through Wednesday morning, with 1.3 inches of rain forecast.
Posted inHealth & Environment
EBMUD ends drought surcharge as storms refill reservoirs
Conservation by East Bay residents played a role in alleviating the water shortage, according to EBMUD.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Snow in the East Bay hills?
Elevations above 1,500 feet could get up to a few inches of snow — or maybe just a dusting.
Posted inArts & Community
Total lunar eclipse will be visible early Tuesday morning in Oakland, rain permitting
Set your alarm clocks for 2 a.m. Tuesday and head to an open field if you can. The next total lunar eclipse won’t be until 2025.
