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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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Extreme Heat Newsletter
All stories
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‘An absolute crisis’: Millions in US Southwest stare down weeks of brutal heat
More than a third of the country faces some kind of heat advisory going into the weekend.
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More than 61,000 died from heat in Europe last summer — and experts think that’s an undercount
A new report warns that the continent could see premature heat-related deaths increase to more than 100,000 by midcentury.
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How climate change fuels heat waves
Climate change is making extreme heat events more frequent and more dangerous.
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How climate change drives hotter, more frequent heat waves
Everything you need to know about the science linking global warming to extreme heat.
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Extreme heat prompts first-ever Amazon delivery driver strike
Keeping drivers safe could require fundamentally changing the company's business model.
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‘The Heat Will Kill You First’ is a chilling book — and a warning
Author Jeff Goodell on an invisible, stealthy, and universal threat.
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‘We are in uncharted territory’: Earth logs hottest week on record
The grim milestone arrives as rampant flooding hits the Northeastern U.S., India, and Japan.
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July 3 was Earth’s hottest day on record — until July 4
Get ready for the “warmest month, warmest week ... and probably warmest hour.”
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Extreme heat will cost the US $1 billion in health care costs — this summer alone
High temperatures could lead to 235,000 ER visits and 56,000 hospital admissions for heat-related conditions annually.
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Storms and searing heat grip Mexico and Southern states
Millions sweat it out as heat indices reach 120 degrees and outages plague Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi.