Heat-Related Illness Increase
Exposure to extreme heat is already a significant public health problem and the primary cause of weather-related mortality in the U.S.[1] As temperatures continue to increase due to climate change, heat-related illness is expected to worsen.
The atmosphere can also hold more water, reducing our bodies’ ability to cool off and increasing our risk of heat-related illness. The Heat Index, also known as the "real feel" temperature, is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.
Read MoreAug 14, 2020
California Heat Wave August 2020
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Continental US Heat Wave July 2020
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Western US Extreme Heat August 2019
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Coronavirus Complicates Heat Wave Relief for Governments, Nonprofits and the People They Serve
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Summer's heat waves could get more dangerous in the coming decades, study warns
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Extreme Heat Is Another Legacy of Segregation
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Heat Index, Wind Chill
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Extreme Global Temperatures
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US Surface Dew Point Temperature
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The Effects of Heat Exposure on Human Mortality Throughout the United States
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Anthropogenic climate change and heat effects on health
Jul 13, 2020 | MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Heat-Related Deaths — United States, 2004–2018
Earth Systems Signals
Global warming is causing widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.
Heat Signals
The Earth is getting hotter due to human activities that release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.
Drought Signals
Climate change is making droughts more likely to occur, and more severe when they do.
Wildfires Signals
Climate change is increasing the size, frequency, intensity and seasonality of wildfires.
Hurricanes Signals
Warmer temperatures increase the rate of water evaporation, which feeds moisture and energy into storms.
Floods Signals
Worsening floods due to climate change are putting a growing number of communities at risk.