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Record High
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EDITOR’S NOTE
As carbon emissions rise, communities across the globe are dealing with increasingly severe and frequent bouts of extreme temperatures. Scientists have observed an eightfold increase in record-breaking hot months over the past decade, and at any given time, extreme heat is now affecting about one-tenth of the Earth’s land area. Some 8 million Americans were exposed to “extreme danger” temperatures last year alone, defined by the National Weather Service as a heat index of more than 125 degrees Fahrenheit. By 2053, that number is expected to rise to 107 million.
These scorching temperatures are impacting public health, drought, agriculture, infrastructure, equity, ecosystems, and much more. But there are also innovative solutions, policies, and technologies being tested to adapt to this hotter future. Follow Grist as it delves into all aspects of extreme heat — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
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How to build a heat-resilient city
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Extreme Heat Newsletter
All stories
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Extreme heat led to a Taylor Swift fan’s death in Brazil. Could it have been prevented?
In an era of rising heat waves, experts weigh in on how to plan for concerts and other large events safely.
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How Florida farmworkers are protecting themselves from extreme heat
Protecting the people who pick your food is as easy as giving them shade and water.
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Workers are dying from extreme heat. Why aren’t there laws to protect them?
“We’re asking for something so simple. Something that could save so many lives.”
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As heat-related deaths rise, a new program puts community clinics on the front lines
An initiative in Florida, Louisiana, and Arizona enlists clinicians to ensure resources go to the right places during heat waves.
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Earth just set another heat record — by the largest margin yet
The average temperature in September was "absolutely gobsmackingly bananas."
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How climate change is fueling alcohol-related hospitalizations
A new study in New York found that hospital visits from alcohol-related disorders spike along with temperatures.
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Winter just ended in South America. It’s 110 degrees.
The unseasonal heat in Brazil is bad news for the world's supply of coffee and soybeans.
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Why we need to sweat
This week's Record High newsletter looks at the science of sweating: It may be the pits, it’s the body's best defense against extreme heat.
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Will sweat help us survive climate change?
It's gross. It's sticky. And it's already saved your life.
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It’s not just coral. Extreme heat is weakening entire marine ecosystems in Florida.
Anemones, sponges, and jellyfish are bleaching throughout the Everglades amid record temperatures. It's a troubling sign for Florida Bay and beyond.