As temperatures rise across the US, here's how to protect yourself this summer
partnered with to identify which regions have been most impacted by high-risk heat, using , , and data.
As temperatures rise across the US, here's how to protect yourself this summer
It's only halfway through, and already, 2024 is on its way to being one of the warmest years on record.
May marked the 12th straight month of record-high temperatures, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. The average global surface temperature was 60.7 degrees Fahrenheit, about 2.1 degrees above the 20th-century average.
In June, 1,300 people died during extreme heat while participating in this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, while in the Midwestern and Northeastern parts of the United States broke temperature records in several states. Extraordinarily high heat is considered the deadliest extreme weather event, and fueled by human activities, is only expected to make the world even hotter in the years to come.
partnered with to see which regions have been most impacted by high-risk heat using data from the , the , and the .
Western states experience more high-heat days
According to the latest data from the Environmental Protection Agency, Utah and Nevada experienced an average of at least 20 days of unusually hot temperatures between 2018 and 2022, about twice the national average.
A place experiences " when temperatures are 95% or above its historical average. In June, Salt Lake City reached a near-record 101 degrees, 30 degrees above normal, while the rest of the state also experienced triple-digit temperatures.
But it's not just Western states that are feeling the heat. Between 2018 and 2022, Nantucket, Massachusetts, had an average of 30 extreme heat days. In fall 2023, public schools closed due to abnormally high temperatures.
People who experience extreme heat in traditionally cooler climates, including the Pacific Northwest, can be more at risk because they are ill-prepared. At least 54 people died in Multnomah County, Oregon, during a June 2021 heatwave; most in their homes.
High heat impacts some groups more than others. Older adults, athletes, and people who work outdoors are among the most at risk for heat-related injury.
A 2023 report from Kaiser Family Foundation found extreme heat disproportionately impacted people in some historically marginalized population groups, including Black people, Indigenous Americans, and noncitizens, who have than white people.
In April, the Labor Department for a lack of prevention against heat-related hazards after one of their employees, a 26-year-old man from Mexico, died of heat stroke last year.
The Earth recently reached the hottest day ever measured. And in the absence of federal heat rules for workers, some employers are taking it upon themselves to protect employees.