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Dropping water levels on the Mississippi River are causing some major issues in Louisiana. With little rain in the forecast and a worsening drought, the worst may be yet to come.

As water levels on the Mississippi River drop to near-record lows, a drinking water emergency is taking shape in southern Louisiana as ocean water surges north. With drought in place and no significant relief in sight, a crisis may be looming for the New Orleans metro.

The latest drought monitor shows worsening conditions across parts of the central and southern U.S. Drought conditions in southern Louisiana are in the extreme and exception categories, levels 3 and 4 (out of 4) respectively. Powerful heat domes this summer contributed to drought conditions and impacts from this pattern will be felt into the fall months. With no substantial rain in the forecast, things are expected to get worse.

Low water levels are a growing issue along the length of the Mississippi River. River gauges from mouth of the Ohio River to Jackson, Mississippi, are running at or below critical levels, and the flow of the river is being impacted. Not only are the low water levels causing issues for travel and commerce along the river, drinking water is at risk in southern Louisiana.

With the flow of the Mississippi River being diminished due to drought and water levels, salty ocean water is surging north. More than 2,000 residents of Plaquemines Parish in southern Louisiana had to rely on bottled drinking water this summer. If current conditions persist, saltwater may reach water intake facilities in New Orleans by the second half of October.

As this situation continues to unfold, Weather & Radar's expert meteorologists will keep you up-to-date on the latest.

Thursday evening, the last supermoon of the year will rise. This is the fourth and last supermoon of the year, so you will want to head out and get a glimpse if the weather allows it.

A brilliant full moon will rise this evening. The full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox is traditionally given the name the Harvest Moon. It is said that in the past, the light of September's full moon would allow farmers to work late into the night, thus the nickname for this full moon.

This evening's full moon being a supermoon will add to its luster. A supermoon occurs when a full moon reaches perigree, or the nearest point to Earth on its elliptical orbit around our planet. According to NASA, a supermoon can appear as much as 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than the faintest full moon, also known as a micromoon.

Many are calling this full moon the "Super Harvest Moon," but to most it will look like a typical full moon, just slightly larger and brighter to the naked eye. While the moon rise will happen this evening, peak illumination doesn't occur until 6 a.m. Friday ET.

The next supermoon won't occur for nearly a year, with the next one happening on September 18, 2024. If you want to know whether you will have a good view of the supermoon, check evening conditions on the WeatherRadar. You can also get the latest astro info, including moon rise and set, through the Weather & Radar app.

A strong geomagnetic storm hit Earth on September 19, 2023, sending beautiful northern lights through Boundary Waters, Minn.

These storms at a G3 or "strong" level have the capability to knock out radio communications. But on the bright and dazzling side of the situation, the aurora borealis creates a nighttime showcase of bright colors.

It's aurora season! Make sure you check the night time forecast to find the best time for viewing these beautiful lights.

Autumn is in full swing, but summer just doesn’t want to depart the central U.S. just yet. Near-record temperatures are possible this weekend.

Although the leaves have started to change across the Upper Midwest and Midwest, plan for shorts and t-shirts for this weekend’s walk through the vibrant forest. Wear some sunscreen if heading out to the tailgate and game Saturday or Sunday afternoon — the September sun can still produce sunburns.

Afternoon high through early next week will be in the 80s as far north as the Twin Cities and Green Bay, Wisc., with 90s found in across the central and southern Plains from Omaha, Neb., and Des Moines, Iowa, southward into Kansas City, Oklahoma City and throughout Texas.

These temperatures are 15 to 20 degrees above normal and a few daily temperature records could be broken across the central Plains.

The driver of this late-season warm-up is a massive upper-level ridge building across the Plains. This helps to produce abundant sunshine and southerly flow, bringing warm air northward. Here are more details explaining the upper-level set-up:

Nighttime lows will drop into the 60s and low 70s, so a sweater or jacket will be needed for early morning walks outside. Remember to take a gander outside tonight, the year’s last supermoon will rise right after sunset. It is also the year’s Harvest moon. Read all about what the causes of the supermoon and the Harvest moon right here.

The hot weather will stick around through early next week, in fact it will expand into the East and South, bringing 80s into Southeast and southern Mid-Atlantic and low to middle-70s in New England.

Track all of the big temperature changes using our TemperatureRadar.

We continue to monitor the same two tropical systems over the Atlantic. One weakens, another strengthens. Where are they going? Let’s discuss.

Tropical Storm Philippe continues to weaken. Due to its unstable and erratic status, the path of the storm is also a bit erratic for the next few days. Thus, the storm will continue to weaken, remember that this is in terms of maximum sustained winds. Still, northern portions of the Lesser Antilles including Puerto Rico could have some showers moving through the area and the seas could be a bit rough for the rest of this week and into the weekend. We do not expect major impacts from this system across the northeastern Caribbean islands, but we do expect showers and some intermittent storms.

The next tropical wave labeled Invest 91 has been officially named Rina this Thursday morning. It is moving northwest, a little faster than Philippe, and is currently located between the Cape Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles arc. It is in a favorable area for it to continue organizing and strengthening, although it is expected to continue as a tropical storm. It has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph on Thursday and is expected to remain a long distance from the northwest Caribbean, without directly affecting the islands. Starting on Saturday it will move faster and enter a less favorable area for strengthening.

This system is moving northwest and may very well be stealing much of Philippe's energy over the next few days as Phillips. But as this area strengthens, we can also expect the sea to begin to become more agitated. Boaters near the east of the Leeward Islands should be aware of marine forecasts for the area.

Our team of meteorologists at Weather & Radar will keep an eye on what happens in the tropics over the next few days. Remember the hurricane season officially ends on November 30 and it is during October that there are usually more tropical systems developing near land due to fronts leaving North America. The extremes of these fronts usually leave some energy behind, which could sustain tropical development very close to the US or western Caribbean coasts.

**This same information can be seen in Spanish, written by our meteorologists, only by configuring our application to English. Tell your family and friends that you only speak English, so they too are informed, and stay safe, please. **