As we enter the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere and the possibility of extreme heat becomes more common, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the science of heat waves and take measures to protect ourselves from this growing public health threat. The number of heat-related illnesses and fatalities in the U.S. has been increasing since the 1980s due to rising temperatures accelerated by the effects of climate change. Approximately 1,300 people die in the U.S. every year from exposure to extreme heat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The World Health Organization says that more than 166,000 people around the globe died from heat waves from 1998 to 2017. This includes more than 70,000 who died during the 2003 heatwave in Europe.
Below are some of the latest headlines from the Extreme Heat channel on Newswise, a source for journalists to find story ideas.
Climate Change Threatens Military Readiness
-American Physiological Society (APS)
New Research Suggests Wheat Crops May Be Threatened by Unprecedented Heat and Drought
-Tufts University
Time to Play It Cool – Tips to Protect Yourself from Extreme Heat
-American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
Warm and dry climate over China in 2022 with extreme heatwaves and droughts
-Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Increasing heat likely a major factor in human migration
-PLOS
New tools to combat Chicago’s changing climate
-Argonne National Laboratory
All time high temperatures are causing more injury deaths
-University of California, Irvine
Global research reveals countries where record-breaking heatwaves are likely to cause most harm
-University of Bristol
New Study Finds Shifting Climate Regions Leading to Hotter, Drier Conditions Across Kenya
-Saint Louis University
Cities will need more resilient electricity networks to cope with extreme weather
-Lund University
Washington state’s 2021 heat wave contributed to 159 excess injury deaths over three weeks
-University of Washington
Staying Safe When It’s Hot: Study Identifies Temperature-humidity Combinations that Stress the Heart
-American Physiological Society (APS)
