Latest Heat waves News

More extreme heat plus more people equals danger in these California cities

Sep. 05, 2024 16:34 PM EDT

On a recent sunny afternoon in Lancaster, Cassandra Hughes looked for a place to cool down. She set up a lawn chair in the shade at the edge of a park and spent the afternoon with a coloring book, listening to hip-hop music. Reaching a high of 97 degrees, this August day was...

Phoenix weathers 100 days of 100-plus degree temps as heat scorches western US

Sep. 03, 2024 22:15 PM EDT

PHOENIX (AP) — Cam Ferguson gets to his spot on the street adjacent to Chase Field — home of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks — about four hours before first pitch to set up his usual display of cold water, sports drinks, peanuts and candy. By game time, it's about...

From cold towels to early dismissal, people are finding ways to cope with a 2nd day of heat wave

Aug. 27, 2024 19:27 PM EDT

CHICAGO (AP) — As a second straight day of hot soupy temperatures approaching triple digits hung over much of the Midwest on Tuesday, residents looked for ways to stay cool and indoors. Darrell Taylor, 61, has no air-conditioning in his apartment in Chicago, where it reached a...

Fair-goers scorched by heartland heat wave take refuge under misters as some schools let out early

Aug. 26, 2024 19:40 PM EDT

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — Visitors to the Minnesota State Fair sought relief from soaring temperatures under misters Monday while some Midwestern schools dismissed classes early or called off sports practices. Highs approaching the century mark combined with oppressive humidity...

Triple-digit temperatures scorch Texas as millions across Southwest under excessive heat warnings

Aug. 21, 2024 19:54 PM EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Summer heat scorched Texas and the Southwest on Wednesday, pushing Phoenix to nearly 90 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures and putting millions of people under excessive heat warnings. Meanwhile, energy demand in Texas hit an unofficial all-time high...

Extreme heat at Colorado airshow sickens about 100 people with 10 hospitalized, officials say

Aug. 18, 2024 11:30 AM EDT

Extreme heat at a Colorado airshow caused about 100 people to seek emergency treatment and sent 10 people to area hospitals on Saturday, officials said. The majority of patients were treated by emergency personnel onsite at the Pikes Peak Regional Airshow, the Colorado Springs Fire...

Extreme heat increasingly endangers children in West and Central Africa, UNICEF says

Aug. 14, 2024 17:36 PM EDT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Children in West and Central Africa are increasingly exposed to extreme heat, which further endangers their health, according to a new report by UNICEF published Wednesday. The frequency of heatwaves in the region has more than quadrupled since the 1960s,...

A 13-month streak of global temperature records just ended. Here are five takeaways

Aug. 08, 2024 13:34 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — After 13 months of what felt like an endless breaking of heat records, the streak came to an end last month — just barely. The European climate agency Copernicus said Thursday that July 2024’s average heat just missed surpassing July of last year. While the slightly cooler...

Top US health official acknowledges more federal money for utility help is needed for extreme heat

Aug. 07, 2024 23:51 PM EDT

PHOENIX (AP) — Visiting Phoenix amid triple-digit temperatures, the U.S. government's top health official acknowledged on Wednesday that a federal program that helps low-income people pay their utility bills needs to focus more on cooling homes in the summer instead of overwhelmingly on...

Extreme heat is impacting most Americans' electricity bills, AP-NORC poll finds

Aug. 07, 2024 09:27 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — During the summer, Levena Lindahl closes off entire rooms, covers windows with blackout curtains and budgets to manage the monthly cost of electricity for air conditioning. But even then, the heat finds its way in. “Going upstairs, it’s like walking into soup....