ReportWire

Tag: extreme heat

  • Rio de Janeiro zoo animals are treated to popsicles as the city faces scorching summer weather

    [ad_1]

    RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Animals at Rio de Janeiro’s BioParque zoo received popsicles and frozen treats Tuesday as the city faced another day of extreme heat during Brazil’s summer.

    Jaguars, monkeys and other animals were given an iced diet prepared according to each species’ needs, zoo officials said. Some received frozen fruit, while others were offered mixtures containing frozen blood.

    A group of monkeys were handed watermelon popsicles by zoo keepers. A jaguar tried to fish out ground chicken popsicles from a tray that floated in its water tank.

    “When she tries to fish out the frozen food, she ends up ingesting water as well,” said Letizia Feitoza, a biologist at the zoo. “This is important for her hydration.”

    Zoo officials said the frozen foods are part of routine animal care and help provide thermal comfort during periods of extreme heat. Similar initiatives were carried out last summer as high temperatures affected much of Brazil’s southeast.

    Temperatures in Rio de Janeiro rose over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Sunday and Monday, prompting city authorities to issue a Level 3 heat alert and warn of health risks linked to prolonged exposure.

    The high temperatures haven’t stopped residents from visiting the Bioparque Zoo, where they watched the animals licking on their red popsicles.

    “I thought it was really cool,” said Lorena Carvalho, a teacher visiting the zoo. “I think it brings them more comfort.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Why Workplace Injury Rates Rise When It Gets Hot

    [ad_1]

    If you’ve been suffering an unseasonably warm October, wondering when autumn will arrive and all this darn sunshine will go away so you can get into the proper chilly Halloween spirit, then here’s another concern for you: a new study found a correlation between hot weather and workplace injuries. 

    The data, published in a report at the journal BioMed Central, found that just over 1 percent of all reported workplace injuries in the U.S. in the period studied (2023) were directly attributable to “heat exposure on days exceeding a heat index of 70°F.” Though the researchers admitted that most of the injuries were associated with “high-hazard” industries, not all of the injuries are related to direct exposure to extreme heat, as you may imagine, say, an outdoor-based worker may be under climate change conditions. The report notes that the results were “consistent across nearly all industry sectors, including those that are predominantly indoors,” and that “heat exposure has been associated with subtler impairments in physiological and cognitive performance.” 

    In other words, heat makes you clumsy and inattentive, and you might be more likely to, say, trip over an office chair you hadn’t noticed and injure yourself in much the same way as an outdoor worker may be more likely to drop a tool from a height onto a coworker when it was hot outside. 

    Speaking to NPR, the lead author of the study, Barrak Alamahad, a research scientist in environmental health at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, underlined this fact. He noted that when heat rises, even in the “safe” environment of an office, there are indeed notable “cognitive effects — hand-eye coordination, your attention, your memory, and even judgment or risk-taking or irritation.”

    Interestingly, the team found that there was a link to government anti-heat efforts in the data. When it was hotter than 105°F, the odds of injury compared to the odds on a typical 80°F day increased by 16 percent in states without heat-related safety rules. Rates rose just 8 percent in states with regulations designed to protect workers from heat issues. When the temperature hit 110°F and higher, the odds of an injury increased 22 percent — that’s a significant amount — in states without occupational heat rules, compared to just 9 percent in states with rules. This suggests a “protective effect,” the report notes, while pointing out the data isn’t 100 percent accurate for this prediction. 

    The study also noted that some 28,000 injuries in 2023 were related to heat, according to OSHA data correlated with historic, geolocated weather data near the site of each injury. Overall the report suggests that there may be mechanisms for preventing heat-related issues, which could reduce the figures for injuries per year. That’s significant, because injuries do more than harm a worker’s health—they may take them out of commission for a while, directly impacting company productivity, or they may result in expensive medical bills, insurance fees or litigation against their employer.

    What can you take away from this investigation for your own workforce’s safety?

    Heat may be a much bigger problem for your workers than you realize. The report notes that even “moderate daily heat can subtly increase the risk of workplace injuries that are not thought of nor classified as ‘heat-related’.” 

    To prevent your workers from being injured, you can try technical solutions, like air conditioning for indoor facilities. But the researchers also note that you should carry out “occupational safety training” and that your company’s safety education process should “explicitly warn about the role of heat” in potential injuries. You can also plan for allowing workers rest, water and shade, and given them written heat plans—all of which could be “critical for safeguarding worker health, and reducing the ‘hidden’ economic costs of heat-related injuries.” 

    The other thing to note is that extreme heat events are on the rise, and climate change isn’t going away — so these sorts of injuries will likely be a growing factor in future workplace risks.

    [ad_2]

    Kit Eaton

    Source link

  • In face of extreme heat, L.A. may require landlords to keep their rentals cool

    [ad_1]

    Los Angeles landlords may soon be required to keep rental units cool — or at least make it possible for tenants to do so.

    County supervisors last month passed a law requiring landlords in unincorporated areas to provide a way to keep their rental units at 82 degrees or below. A measure introduced Wednesday in the Los Angeles City Council directs officials to draft language conforming to the same standards.

    That comes as climate change ratchets up the frequency and intensity of heat waves. Extreme heat already kills more people in the United States each year than any other weather-related event, according to the National Weather Service.

    Sustained indoor heat above 82 degrees has been linked to increased emergency-room visits, hospitalizations and deaths, according to a news release from Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Eunisses Hernandez, who introduced the measure along with Councilmember Adrin Nazarian.

    “It’s a health issue, first and foremost,” said Nazarian, who pointed out that the effects of extreme heat fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations like those who are chronically ill. Older residents are much more susceptible to dying from heat or related complications, he said. And poorer people are more likely to live in aging buildings without duct systems or air conditioning units. “It’s critical for us to take steps so that we’re protecting our residents.”

    The California Department of Housing and Community Development earlier this year urged lawmakers to adopt the 82-degree maximum temperature threshold statewide. State law already requires rental units to include equipment that can heat the unit to at least 70 degrees.

    “Why should cooling be any different?” asked Blumenfield, who represents the hottest part of the city — his 3rd District covers much of the southwestern San Fernando Valley. Last year Woodland Hills, where Blumenfield also lives, hit 121 degrees — the highest temperature ever recorded in Los Angeles. “We always have heat strokes go up and all sorts of health related issues happen when it gets really hot,” he said.

    The intention of the proposed measure is to hew as closely to the county regulations as possible, including provisions that provide flexibility to small landlords, Blumenfield said. For instance, the county rules allow landlords who own 10 or fewer units to meet the temperature requirement for just one room until 2032. And while the law took effect this month, it won’t be enforced until 2027.

    The measure will take some time to draft and be heard by various committees but could come up for a vote before the full council in a matter of months, Blumenfield said.

    If it passes, Los Angeles would join a growing list of cities that have adopted maximum temperature thresholds for rentals. In Phoenix, units with air conditioning must be able to maintain a temperature of 82 degrees or below. In Clark County, Nev., units must be able to stay at 85 degrees or cooler. In Palm Springs, units need to have air conditioning and be able to maintain 80 degrees. Dallas requires landlords to keep buildings at least 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature but no higher than 85 degrees, and New Orleans requires units to be able to maintain a maximum temperature of 80 degrees in all bedrooms.

    The Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles was adamantly opposed to the measure, saying it would drive up the cost of housing and ultimately lead to higher rents.

    It’s difficult to maintain a unit at 82 degrees without using an air conditioner, which can be costly to both landlords — who may need to upgrade buildings’ electrical service — and tenants, who must pay for utility bills, according to Daniel Yukelson, the group’s chief executive and executive director.

    “Any cooling device will be ineffective if too expensive to operate because renters cannot afford the electricity,” he wrote in an email. “It’s like prescribing medication with a co-pay that is too high for a patient to refill.”

    Yukelson also questioned whether the electrical grid can accommodate the additional load, saying that customers are already subjected to blackouts and brownouts during the summer.

    Nazarian and Blumenfield both pointed out that the law does not require air conditioning, and said units could be kept cool with other interventions, including cool roof technology and window tinting. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also offers rebates to help certain customers purchase air conditioners, Nazarian said.

    Grace Hut, assistant director of policy and advocacy for tenants’ rights group Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, said her organization has spoken with many renters whose landlords have actively prohibited them from installing air conditioner units. While she understands concerns about utility prices, tenants ultimately want to be able to choose for themselves whether or not to turn on an air conditioner and shoulder the higher electricity costs, she said.

    “On extreme heat days, access to air conditioning can be a matter of life and death, and they should have the option to use it,” she said.

    The city should also dedicate resources to enforcing the temperature-threshold rules and to helping tenants afford their utility bills to lessen the burden, she added.

    “Climate change is only going to continue to exacerbate this issue so it’s really important that we take action immediately,” she said.

    Last year was the warmest on record globally, and temperatures are projected to continue to rise. In 2022, a Times investigation revealed that heat probably caused about 3,900 deaths in California over the previous decade — six times the state’s official tally — and that the undercounting has contributed to a lack of urgency in confronting the crisis.

    Times staff writer Rebecca Ellis contributed to this report

    [ad_2]

    Alex Wigglesworth

    Source link

  • ‘It happened so fast’: the shocking reality of indoor heat deaths in Arizona

    [ad_1]

    It was the hottest day of the year so far when the central air conditioning started blowing hot air in the mobile home where Richard Chamblee lived in Bullhead City, Arizona, with his wife, children, and half a dozen cats and dogs.

    It was only mid-June but the heat was insufferable, particularly for Chamblee, who was clinically obese and bed-bound in the living room as the temperature hit 115F (46C) in the desert city – situated 100 miles (160km) south of Las Vegas on the banks of the Colorado River.

    The family could not afford to immediately replace or repair the AC system, so instead they bought a window unit and installed it next to Chamblee’s bed. They positioned fans, ice packs and cold drinks close by in an effort to keep Chamblee cool and hydrated, and they checked in on him every couple of hours.

    But the mobile home is old, open-plan and poorly insulated. Despite their efforts, the temperature hovered close to 100F in the house, according to Chamblee’s son John.

    Chamblee overheated and struggled to breathe. His core temperature measured 108F when he was rushed to the emergency room, but doctors were unable to cool him down, according to the death report obtained by the Guardian using the Freedom of Information Act (Foia). Chamblee’s heart stopped working.

    He had died just two days after the AC went out.

    “It was the end of the day and it was cooling off slightly, so we thought he’d be OK. He thought he would be OK,” said his wife, Sherry Chamblee, who works three jobs including as assistant manager at a local grocery store. “We had no idea the heat could be so dangerous so quickly inside. It just happened so fast.”

    Chamblee was just 52 years old. He was a devout Baptist, smart and happy-go-lucky, and he loved playing video games.

    “We did our best to cool him down, but we live a couple of hours from Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth, and my dad couldn’t move,” said John, 21. “My mom lives paycheck to paycheck and if the AC breaks down in the summer and you can’t afford to fix it, you will die here. My dad proves that.”

    Related: The ‘silent killer’: what you need to know about heatwaves

    Nationwide, one in five of the lowest-income households have no access to air conditioning, while 30% rely solely on window units, according to exclusive analysis by the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (Neada) for the Guardian.

    As many as 60% of American households live paycheck to paycheck, while one in three report forgoing basic necessities such as food or medicine to pay energy bills and avoid disconnection.

    Heat is the deadliest weather phenomenon in the US and globally, killing almost half a million people worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization. The death toll is rising as human-caused climate crisis drives more frequent, more brutal and longer heatwaves.

    Last month marked 30 years since what was then an unprecedented five-day heatwave in Chicago that killed more than 730 people and sent thousands to hospital. The majority were elderly, Black, isolated, low-income residents either lacking air conditioning or the money to run it.

    Since then, deadly heat domes have hit every corner of the country, including northern states unaccustomed to extreme heat, such as Oregon and Massachusetts. Yet the US has failed to implement a robust methodology to count and understand the scale of the heat-related illnesses and deaths.

    As the planet heats up, experts warn that indoor heat deaths among elderly, sick and low-income people could surge amid deepening financial hardship driven by Donald Trump’s energy policies, trade wars and his administration’s dismantling of the social safety net.

    “The United States is being governed by a regime that depends on denying scientific findings from climate science to economics and medical science to sociology,” said Eric Klinenberg, the author of Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University.

    “We’re not just failing to protect vulnerable people, we’re actively making life here more precarious. And while some will be able to buy their way out of the problem, most people can’t. This is an existential crisis,” said Klinenberg.

    Energy poverty in the world’s richest country

    One in three American households experiences energy poverty – the inability to access sufficient amounts of energy due to financial hardship, according to one recent study.

    And it’s getting worse. The average household electric bill during the summer months, when cooling drives up usage, will reach $784 in 2025 – a 6.2% rise from $737 last year, according to analysis by Neada for the Guardian. This will be the highest recorded in more than a decade, and will place a disproportionate burden on low-income Americans. Families in the south and south-west are disproportionately affected.

    The Chamblee family experienced severe energy poverty until 2023, when they saved $1,000 to install residential solar panels that qualified for tax credits, and cut the family’s summer electricity bills from around $400 to $60 a month. The federal solar tax credit included in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act ends in December, however, thanks to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act – a decade earlier than planned.

    Trump’s budget will lead to residential electricity bills in Arizona increasing by $220 on average by 2035, by truncating the development of new, cost-effective solar energy capacity in the sunny state, according to analysis by Energy Innovation. Trump’s signature legislation will also slash access to food stamps and healthcare, relied upon by millions of low-income households, in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.

    Nationwide, meanwhile, his unprecedented and chaotic rollback of federal incentives and permits led to the cancellation of $22bn of clean energy projects in the first six months of 2025, more than half in Republican states.

    Earlier this month, Arizona’s Republican-controlled regulator also voted to begin the process of repealing the state’s renewable standard, which required that at least 15% of utility energy supplies should come from renewable sources by 2025. Consumer and environmental advocates – and the state’s attorney general – warn the move will further drive up energy bills.

    And in Arizona and across the country, private utilities have submitted proposals for multibillion-dollar rate increases, in order to cover infrastructure upgrades, inflation and new fossil fuel projects – driven, at least partially, by the unchecked expansion of massive datacentres promoted by the Trump administration.

    We’re not just failing to protect vulnerable people, we’re actively making life here more precarious

    Eric Klinenberg, director of NYU’s Institute for Public Knowledge

    “Families are already struggling with high energy bills, and forcing them to cross-subsidize some of the world’s wealthiest corporations violates both fairness and common sense,” said Mark Wolfe, an energy economist and director of Neada.

    “It will worsen energy poverty, erode public trust, and turn utilities into vehicles for corporate welfare.”

    Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, dismissed criticism of Trump’s energy policy as “fearmongering”.

    “The best source of energy in a heat wave is baseload energy from coal and natural gas, which the president has unleashed and made more affordable, not intermittent energy sources like solar,” Rogers said. “By increasing energy production, eliminating burdensome regulations, and streamlining permitting, President Trump is ensuring that US energy meets the energy demands for heat waves, data centers, and grid stability.”

    Energy … on the credit card

    Household utility debt is reaching crisis levels, jumping from $17.5bn in January 2023 to $21bn in June 2025 and forecast to climb as high as $25bn by the end of this year. Currently, only 26 states and the District of Columbia have rules restricting some utility shutoffs over the summer, and disconnections could hit 4m by the end of 2025, according to Neada.

    Amid soaring energy costs, shrinking federal aid, hotter summers and a zip code lottery when it comes to utility disconnection rules, health experts warn that households on fixed incomes and those with medical issues such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and addictions will be most vulnerable.

    “These are preventable deaths, and the situation is going to get worse as bills go up and hardship increases,” said Vjollca Berisha, a former senior epidemiologist at the Maricopa county department of public health who tracked energy insecurity and indoor deaths. “It only takes a little push to knock down people with underlying conditions if they don’t have options.”

    In Maricopa county, which includes Phoenix, last year, almost a quarter of the 608 confirmed heat-related fatalities happened inside, with people over 50 accounting for the vast majority of those who died at home.

    A quarter of the county’s indoor deaths took place in RVs or mobile homes, a popular source of affordable housing, especially for retirees, but which are often poorly insulated and too rundown to qualify for weatherization programs.

    The vast majority of those indoor heat victims had AC at home, but the unit was broken in 70% of cases – while one in 10 had no electricity to run even a fan, according to Maricopa county’s 2024 report.

    Patricia Miletich, a 70-year-old woman with memory issues, died in June 2024 at a 55+ RV resort with pickleball courts, a golf course and bistro in the hot and dusty city of El Mirage north-west of Phoenix. According to her autopsy report obtained by the Guardian using Foia, a neighbor told death investigators that Miletich had forgotten to pay her bills on multiple occasions, resulting in her electricity being turned off in the past.

    These are preventable deaths, and the situation is going to get worse as bills go up and hardship increases

    Vjollca Berisha, former senior epidemiologist at Maricopa county’s public health department

    The power was on when she died, but the AC was not functioning. Like Chamblee’s, it blew hot air from the vents, between 109F and 117F. The resort’s manager confirmed to the Guardian that Miletich’s power had been disconnected several times, but declined to answer further questions about what support the retiree received.

    “It’s a sad situation that should never have happened, but she wanted to be left alone and the family didn’t know” about her memory decline and electricity shutoffs, said her brother Michael Miletich.

    In nearby Mohave county, a Guardian analysis of death reports obtained under Foia found that 70% of the 67 confirmed heat-related deaths in 2024 occurred indoors – of which the vast majority lived in RVs or mobile homes.

    This includes Stephen Patterson in Lake Havasu City, a 69-year-old with multiple health challenges tied to a childhood road traffic accident, chronic pain and alcohol addiction. Patterson relied on his $1,000 monthly social security check – the sole source of income for around 40% of seniors, according to one 2020 study.

    According to Regina, his sister and main carer, Patterson rationed his AC use because he believed he could cope with the heat but not without alcohol. He also incorrectly blamed the AC for a mold issue.

    When he died, the temperature inside Stephen’s house was 102F, according to the medical examiner’s report. The daily high in Lake Havasu City was 116F.

    “I begged him to turn on the AC,” said Regina, who is 75 and, like her brother, is also on a fixed social security income. “I would have paid his bill on my credit card, but my brother was a stubborn man. It was like a furnace when I found him.”

    Regina uses credit cards to pay her electric bill, currently $211 a month, as well as her water, trash, car insurance and cable. The cards charge as much as 35% interest. Around 60% of her monthly income covers the house payment, and the rest goes to service the credit card debt, which currently stands at more than $12,000 – in addition to almost $1,000 owed to the energy company.

    She diligently documents each month’s payments and remaining credit in an A4 notebook that sits on the coffee table next to the TV remote.

    Regina has been disconnected multiple times over the years, but has received some financial help from the Salvation Army and Goodwill to avoid a shutoff. Yet she was unaware of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (Liheap), the chronically underfunded federal program to help families pay their energy bills, which the Trump administration proposed cutting after firing the entire workforce in April.

    In Arizona, 24,000 households received Liheap assistance in the 2025 fiscal year. A third of recipients included a household member with a disability or children under six, while 16% included an older adult. Liheap was saved amid bipartisan protests, but its future remains uncertain. Arizona, where heat deaths are known to occur from April to November, currently only has enough funds to help struggling families through the end of September.

    On his first day back in the White House, Trump declared a national energy emergency, promising to lower prices by boosting fossil fuels and rolling back Joe Biden’s renewable energy ambitions. To Regina Patterson, it all now rings hollow.

    “The price of everything keeps going up and I get into more debt every month. Trump is evil and only cares about the rich,” she said.

    “If I were to lose my electric in this heat, I would lose my head.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Your Body Ages Faster Because of Extreme Heat

    [ad_1]

    It is well known that heat causes exhaustion in the body due to dehydration. But aging?

    A recent study concluded that extreme heat accelerates the aging of the human body, a worrying fact given the increasing frequency of heat waves due to climate change.

    The researchers are not talking about the effects of solar radiation on the skin, but biological aging. Unlike chronological age—that answer that you give when asked how old you are—your biological age reflects how well your cells, tissues, and organs are functioning. Biological age can be calculated by looking at physiological and molecular markers in the body as well as by using various tests, for instance by measuring lung function, cognitive ability, or bone density.

    Over time, the research found, exposure to extreme heat can weaken bodily systems, which shows up in tests of people’s blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood function. In the long term, this can increase the risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia. The research, which was published in the journal Nature Climate Change, found that the aging effect of extreme heat was comparable to other behaviors known to be harmful to the body, such as smoking or drinking alcohol.

    The researchers analyzed the long-term medical data of 24,922 people in Taiwan, collected between 2008 and 2022. During that time, the island experienced about 30 heat waves—defined by the research team as periods of high temperature lasting for several days. The researchers first calculated the biological age of the individuals, based on the results of various medical tests, such as liver, lung, and kidney function tests. They then compared people’s biological age with their chronological age, to see how fast their biological clock was ticking relative to their actual age. They then cross-referenced this information against people’s likely exposure to heat waves.

    The results showed that the more extreme heat events people experienced, the faster their biological age accelerated relative to their chronological age. On average, among the cohort of people studied, being exposed to two years’ worth of heat waves added between eight and 12 days to a person’s biological age.

    “While the number itself may seem small, over time and in different populations, this effect may have significant implications for public health,” said Cui Guo, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong and lead author of the study, in a statement from Nature.

    The study also found that people doing physical labor and those residing in rural areas were more likely to be affected by accelerated biological aging, presumably due to greater exposure to the effects of heat waves. However, an unexpected positive effect was observed as well: The impact of heat exposure on biological aging actually decreased over the 15 years analyzed. The reason behind this is unknown, though Guo points to the possible influence of cooling technologies such as air-conditioning, which have become more common in recent years.

    This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.

    [ad_2]

    Javier Carbajal

    Source link

  • Pacific Power Asks You To Reduce Electricity Use During Extreme Heat – KXL

    [ad_1]

    PORTLAND, OR – Saying extreme weather across the region is causing higher than normal demand for electricity, officials with Pacific Power are encouraging customers to reduce electricity consumption now.  They are hoping the voluntarily reduction in power demand will reduce strain on the electrical grid.

    Customers can take the following steps to help reduce the strain on the grid:

    • Switch energy use to off-peak hours (from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.) whenever possible.
    • Limit use of appliances that generate heat – including dishwashers, ovens and clothes dryers – to the evening or early morning.
    • Turn off lights, computers, televisions and appliances when not in use.
    • Use fans to keep air moving inside your home.

    For more information, visit PacificPower.net.

    More about:

    [ad_2]

    Tim Lantz

    Source link

  • Extreme heat is ramping up again in metro Phoenix. Here’s when to expect it

    [ad_1]

    Phoenix is gearing up for another stretch of extreme heat after a short reprieve due to monsoonal moisture, according to the National Weather Service.

    Temperatures will climb back to 110 and above by midweek, with an extreme heat watch set to begin on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

    “We’re going to see temperatures trending up throughout the week,” said Isaac Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix. “By Wednesday, we’re going to be looking at highs topping around 112 degrees and similar temperatures again on Thursday and Friday.”

    A ridge of high pressure is building over the region, strengthening as it moves west and baking the ground below.

    While storm chances will return, widespread rain in Phoenix remains unlikely.

    “We do have some low chances in the forecast, around 10 to 20% starting Wednesday,” Smith continued. “The highest chances would be on Friday, we’ll see about a 20 to 30% chance.”

    Storms will be more likely in the higher terrain east of Phoenix, where 20 to 50% odds persist through the rest of the week. Gusty winds, blowing dust and localized heavy rain with minor flooding are possible in parts of western and south-central Arizona and into southeastern California.

    The storms could also pose fire risks. Pop-up storms that produce little rain may spark lightning-caused fires, while outflow winds can help fan the flames, Smith said.

    How to stay cool in extreme heat

    • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid sugary drinks and alcohol, which can dehydrate you.

    • Limit outdoor activity: Try to stay indoors during peak heat hours, usually between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

    • Use sun protection: Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen with at least SPF 30.

    • Check on vulnerable people: Keep an eye on the elderly, children and pets who are especially sensitive to the heat.

    • Know the signs of heat illness: Dizziness, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat and confusion can signal heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Seek medical help immediately.

    Hayleigh Evans writes about extreme weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email her with story tips at hayleigh.evans@arizonarepublic.com.

    This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Extreme heat, unlikely rain chances in the forecast for Phoenix area

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • City of LA prepares cooling centers in advance of extreme heat

    City of LA prepares cooling centers in advance of extreme heat

    [ad_1]

    Prompted by an excessive heat warning, the city of Los Angeles will open and operate cooling centers through Wednesday evening, Mayor Karen Bass’ office announced.

    The city has hundreds of free locations open for residents to find an escape from the heat, such as recreation and parks facilities and local library branches. For locations and hours of operation, visit laparks.org/reccenter or lapl.org/branches.

    Cooling centers are accessible to people with disabilities. They also provide charging devices for phones and some medical equipment, as well as refrigerators for medication.

    Starting Tuesday, five cooling centers will be available:

    • Fred Roberts Recreation Center, 4700 Honduras St.;
    • Mid Valley Senior Center, 8801 Kester Ave. in Panorama City;
    • Sunland Senior Center, 8640 Fenwick St. in Sunland;
    • Jim Gilliam Recreation Center, 4000 S. La Brea Ave; and
    • Lincoln Heights Senior Center, 2323 Workman St.

    The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Homelessness, in coordination with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, began outreach with unhoused residents to provide them with hotel vouchers.

    In Skid Row, three climate stations will be available for unhoused residents to grab cold beverages and sit in the shade, at the following:

    • Towne Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, across the street from the ReFresh Spot;
    • San Pedro Street, mid-block between Sixth and Seventh streets; and
    • Fifth Street and Maple Avenue

    The ReFresh Spot, located at 544 Towne Ave., is also open and provides the Skid Row community access to drinking water, restrooms, showers and laundry facilities. The ReFresh Spot is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is open to anyone in the community, free of charge, according to Bass’ office.

    LA pools will also be available for residents. Hours of operations can be found here

    The Department of Water and Power is prepared to work around the clock and meet customer demand. Crews are ready to respond to possible power outages, and additional staff are on standby. Power outages can be reported at ladwp.com/outages or by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397).

    LADWP customers can sign up to receive outage alerts via text or email at ladwp.com/outagealert.

    The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings from 11 a.m. Tuesday until 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, and other areas in Southern California.

    Temperatures are expected to cool down starting Thursday.

    [ad_2]

    City News Service

    Source link

  • Climate Resilience for All: As Climate Week NYC Unfolds, It’s Time to Face the Devastating Impact of Extreme Heat on Women

    Climate Resilience for All: As Climate Week NYC Unfolds, It’s Time to Face the Devastating Impact of Extreme Heat on Women

    [ad_1]

    While Climate Discussions Focus on Decarbonization and Energy Transition — Both Incredibly Urgent to Address, Millions of Low-Income Women Remain Exposed to Rising Temperatures


    NEW YORK, September 24, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    According to NOAA, August was Earth’s hottest month in 175 years, marking the 15th consecutive month of record-breaking global heat. Plus, Summer 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere is officially the hottest on record — a harsh warning of the climate crisis already expanding.

    Extreme heat is a silent, invisible killer, responsible for more deaths than any other climate-driven hazard. A deeper understanding of its uneven effects reveals that women are disproportionately and significantly harmed by heat.

    Women are nearly four times more heat intolerant than men and 14 times more likely to die in climate disasters. Many work outdoors in agriculture, street vending, waste recycling, and domestic labor without access to shade or cooling. This issue affects women globally — those in southern Europe die from extreme heat at twice the rate of men, and worldwide, 60% more women than men lack adequate cooling, heightening their risk for heat-related illnesses.

    The heat amplifies pre-existing inequalities. Female-headed households lose 8% more income to heat and women in agriculture, who make up the backbone of food production, produce up to 30% more food when given equal resources. Yet, 80% of agricultural policies ignore women’s climate challenges, according to FAO. These are just examples of how the effects of heat are felt across the work force and supply chains, affecting not only women in vulnerable regions but economies everywhere.

    Global institutions are beginning to step up. UN Secretary General António Guterres issued a global “Call to Action” on extreme heat in August 2024, calling on nations, philanthropy, and the private sector to act. 

    A path forward exists. “Extreme heat is at the beginning, middle, and end of every recent climate story, and it’s time to address it at the pace and scale required. Women not only endure heat’s wrath, but as the backbone of communities and proven risk managers and problem solvers can also drive long-term change and deliver impact,” said Rachel Kyte, Board Chair of Climate Resilience For All, a global NGO working to protect the health and livelihoods of women and vulnerable communities from the impacts of extreme heat.

    “We’ve implemented initiatives like the Women’s Climate Shock Insurance and Livelihoods Initiative in India that provides financial protection and women-centered early warning that save lives and enhance climate resilience,” said Kathy Baughman McLeod, CEO of Climate Resilience for All. “Our call during this Climate Week is to focus on more tangible and immediate actions, policies, and financing for heat resilience. As the planet warms, the future of women is inseparable from the future of our world. We must act now before the heat becomes unbearable for all of us. Every life can be saved from extreme heat.” 

    Visit https://www.climateresilience.org.

    Source: Climate Resilience For All

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • A 20-year-old college student from North Carolina died after falling from a Grand Canyon rim

    A 20-year-old college student from North Carolina died after falling from a Grand Canyon rim

    [ad_1]

    The body of a college student was recovered from the Grand Canyon after he fell 400 feet from the rim, the National Park Service said in a statement, as officials warned people to stay on trails – and the park separately urged visitors to limit outdoor activities because of extreme heat.

    Abel Joseph Mejia, 20, of Hickory, North Carolina, was about a quarter-mile west of Pipe Creek Overlook on Wednesday morning when he fell, officials said.

    The incident is being investigated by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, the park service said.

    The park service urged visitors to stay on “designated trails and walkways… a safe distance of at least six feet from the edge of the rim.”

    “We feel deep sadness due to the tragic loss of one of our students, Abel Mejia,” Indiana Bible College in Indianapolis posted on Facebook. “He was known for his warm smile and gentle spirit, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew him.”

    On Thursday, the park issued a heat warning and advised people against hiking in the canyon. Park officials said people should limit outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the heat of the day.

    A 69-year-old man from Texas died on June 29 while hiking in the heat.

    “In the summer, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can reach over 120°F (49 °C) in the shade,” the park service said. “Efforts to assist hikers may be delayed during the summer months due to limited staff, the number of rescue calls, employee safety requirements, and limited helicopter flying capability during periods of extreme heat or inclement weather.”

    Much of the Southwest experienced its warmest July on record and is having its warmest summer on record so far.

    About seven deaths a week are reported at the country’s national parks, the park service says.

    “In 2019, the NPS mortality rate was 0.11 death per 100,000 recreational visits, which is very low when compared to the 715 deaths per 100,000 people rate of the overall U.S. population,” it said.

    For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Last Monday Was the Hottest Day on Record

    Last Monday Was the Hottest Day on Record

    [ad_1]

    THIS ARTICLE IS republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

    In the past week, Earth’s record for the hottest day was broken twice. Sunday, July 21, was declared Earth’s hottest day since records began, when average surface temperature reached 17.09 degrees Celsius. On Monday the record was broken again, when average temperatures reached 17.16 degrees Celsius—and Tuesday was almost as hot.

    The declarations were made by Copernicus, the European climate change service. They made international headlines—especially in the northern hemisphere, which has been experiencing extreme summer heat.

    Determining the global average temperature on any given day is complex. It involves thousands of observations using high-tech equipment and, in some cases, sophisticated computer models.

    So let’s take at look at how scientists take the planet’s temperature, and what these broken records mean.

    How We Know It’s Hot

    The global average surface temperature is the main indicator used to track how the climate is changing, and is the measure used under the Paris Agreement.

    It is derived from a combination of both the average temperature of air just above the land surface and in the upper layer of the ocean.

    Several organizations develop estimates of Earth’s average surface temperature using a variety of methods. Aside from Copernicus, they include national organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

    All datasets produced by these agencies point to a very clear warming trend since 1900.

    Most datasets are based on directly observed temperatures from weather stations on land and floats on the ocean, both of which contain thermometers. Satellites in space are also used to gather infrared estimates.

    The advanced methods used today, and the many thousands of observations, mean daily temperature data is far more accurate than in years past. The further back in time we go, the more uncertain the estimates of global average surface temperatures.

    What Is Copernicus?

    The Copernicus Climate Change Service is part of the European Union’s Earth observation program. To generate its temperature estimates, Copernicus uses not just observations, but a computer model simulation.

    The model simulates temperatures at 2 meters above the land surface everywhere across the globe. The results are combined with an estimate of oceans’ average surface temperature derived from direct observation and satellite information.

    Copernicus’ use of information from a model simulation means its method differs slightly from other datasets. However, the method is well regarded and provides global estimates of average surface temperatures within a couple of days.

    Unpicking the Temperatures

    We know the climate is changing at a rapid pace. But why is this record daily heat occurring now?

    As the graph above shows, the global average surface temperature follows a distinct seasonal cycle. Temperatures in July are typically about 4 degrees Celsius higher than in January.

    The difference comes down to the larger land masses of North America, Europe, and Asia, as compared to those in the southern hemisphere.

    [ad_2]

    Andrew King

    Source link

  • Heavy gear, unforgiving terrain, backbreaking work. Now firefighters contend with extreme heat too

    Heavy gear, unforgiving terrain, backbreaking work. Now firefighters contend with extreme heat too

    [ad_1]

    When a wildfire started in the mountains of Fresno County late last month, much of California was on the cusp of a heat wave that would go on to smash records both for its intensity and duration. Over the next week and a half, as the Basin fire swelled to more than 14,000 acres and temperatures in the area reached 112 degrees, at least nine firefighters were treated for heat-related illness. Four were taken to local hospitals, three of them airlifted from the fire line.

    As the heat wave stretched on, the incident management team overseeing the fire formed a working group to deal with the extreme conditions. They provided firefighters with electrolytes to add to their drinking water and cooling towels to place on their necks.

    And on July 5, in what may have been a first in the state, they constructed five generator-powered, air-conditioned yurts — three out on the fire line and two at the incident command post — to be used as emergency cooling stations.

    Aggressive and impactful reporting on climate change, the environment, health and science.

    “I’ve been doing this for over 35 years, and I can tell you that I have never seen this done before,” said Mike Lindbery of the U.S. Forest Service, public information officer on the Basin fire. “The heat has caused this team, which is basically coming in to solve problems, to look at a different aspect of problem solving.”

    Much attention has been paid to the ways in which extreme heat ratchets up the risk of wildfire and intensifies its behavior, resulting in longer, more destructive fire seasons. But perhaps just as vexing are the challenges heat poses to the health of firefighters themselves, who already perform backbreaking work saddled with heavy equipment in unforgiving terrain.

    On Tuesday, Daniel Foley, 27, a first-year Forest Service firefighter assigned to the Bly Ranger District in Oregon’s Fremont-Winema National Forest, collapsed after completing a fitness test and died at a local hospital. It’s not yet clear whether heat was a factor. The area was under a heat advisory, with afternoon temperatures in the mid-80s to 90s, depending on the elevation, according to the National Weather Service.

    “It’s one of the hottest years on record for me so far, that I can remember,” said Mike Noel, assistant director of risk management for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. He has been a wildland firefighter for 38 years. “All agencies have had multiple heat-related injuries this year.”

    People stand next to an air conditioned yurt, which sits next to an oak-dotted hillside.

    The team overseeing the Basin fire in Fresno County constructed air-conditioned yurts to be used as emergency cooling stations for firefighters earlier this month.

    (California Complex Incident Management Team 11)

    California has seen an uptick in heat-related illness among firefighters over the last 10 days or so coinciding with the elevated temperatures, he said. Seven firefighters assigned to the Lake fire in Santa Barbara County were treated for such illnesses on Thursday alone, he said.

    At least four firefighters suffered from heat-related illness while fighting the Thompson fire in Butte County on July 2, and at least one on the Sharp fire in Ventura County on July 3, according to public information officers for those fires.

    “This is extreme heat throughout the West, and it’s possible whole crews are being affected,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, former wildland firefighter and executive director of nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.

    Wildland firefighters wear about 50 pounds of personal protective equipment, including a helmet, safety goggles and a personal pack containing water and equipment, said David Acuna, battalion chief of communication for the southern region of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

    They may also carry a 25-pound hose pack, as well as hand tools like chain saws or nozzles. And they often must hike to remote locations and then perform physical labor once they get there, which can include digging fire lines, putting in hose lays and taking vegetation down to bare mineral soil to stop the fire spread — all as they breathe in smoke, dust and debris.

    “It’s claustrophobic, sometimes, because it seems like you can’t escape from the heat and smoke,” Acuna said.

    Cal Fire firefighters typically work 24-hour shifts, followed by 24 hours off in order to rest and refuel, he said. During those 24 hours on, breaks can be elusive. “If we can catch a quick cat nap in the engine, that’s great, but most of the time we stay engaged,” he said.

    Breaks were once openly frowned upon — “it’s that tough, macho culture,” said Riva Duncan, former wildland firefighter and vice president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, an advocacy group made up of retired and current federal firefighters.

    But for many, a wake-up call came in 2011, when Bureau of Land Management firefighter Caleb Hamm, 23, died from exertional heatstroke on a fire in Texas, becoming just the second reported federal wildland firefighter to do so. A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report with recommendations for better protecting firefighters was widely distributed.

    The incident raised awareness among superintendents, crew leaders and engine captains about early indicators of heat illness, and encouraged firefighters to speak up when they’re not feeling well, Duncan said. Many crews now have EMTs who carry extra electrolytes and cooling blankets and are trained to spot the early warning signs of heat illness, which can include cramps, weakness, nausea and fatigue, she said.

    Firefighters in heavy gear walk in a line near scorched ground.

    Firefighters walk along a hillside with scorched ground behind them in Mariposa, Calif., on July 5.

    (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

    Still, climate change has resulted in an ever-shifting baseline for what conditions firefighters can expect, including more intense, longer-lasting heat waves.

    “We’re not even at the halfway mark in July,” Duncan said. “These extreme heat situations started early.”

    “People need to understand that fires are behaving differently than they used to,” she added. “It’s not easy to put them out because they’re burning under different conditions than 10, 15 years ago.”

    In California, as of Friday, 3,630 wildfires had burned 228,756 acres, compared with a five-year average of 3,743 fires and 111,813 acres over the same time frame, Acuna said.

    “The fires are much, much more aggressive,” he said, attributing this to the heat and dryness, as well as the abundance of grasses and other fuels, which were stoked by two wet winters and left largely untouched by two mild fire seasons.

    Members of the Redding Hotshots, an elite crew of Forest Service firefighters, are used to dealing with sweltering summer heat. But this season has been punishing even by their standards. They recently fought fires in both the Tahoe and Modoc national forests, where temperatures were in the 100s.

    “It’s always hot on fires, but it seems like this year so far has definitely been about dealing with temperatures over 100, if not more,” said hotshot superintendent Dan Mallia.

    Forest Service fire crews typically work up to 16-hour shifts, followed by eight hours of rest that are often spent sleeping outside. Although Mallia said breaks can be hard to come by, depending on how a fire is behaving, he says he encourages his members to hydrate, eat well and find shade when they can.

    He noted that crews acclimate to the heat by training in it, but that it’s difficult to fully prepare for such extreme conditions.

    “At the end of the day when you get out on a fire, it’s a little different,” he said. “There’s a lot of stuff going on as far as the work, the stress, the smoke, the heat, the fire — all that stuff definitely ramps up.”

    Complicating matters, wildland firefighters are often sent to work in unfamiliar areas, which can make them feel the effects of extreme heat more acutely, said Max Alonzo, national business representative for the National Federation of Federal Employees and a former wildland firefighter who worked for the Forest Service for most of his career.

    “I have seen people really struggle when they show up to different climates and different topography that they’re not used to, where they’re not used to the elevation, they’re not used to the weather,” he said. “We’re a national resource, so they’re going to go all over the country.”

    He said that agencies could do more to proactively protect firefighters from the heat, including erecting cooldown areas on fire lines. Although he applauded the use of cooling yurts on the Basin fire, he said it’s not normal practice. Normal would be, “Hey, make sure you tell people to stay hydrated,” he said.

    More could also be done to alternate crews — pulling firefighters off the line and letting them cool down before moving them back in, he said.

    Cal Fire has already made changes to its personal protective equipment in response to rising temperatures, including transitioning to single-layer pants and removing colored ink from wildland jackets and undershirts in response to evidence that it increased the heat levels of the firefighters wearing them.

    Federal agencies and many state and municipal departments have also begun to use drones to scout ahead of a fire or ignite backfires, lessening the burden on firefighters who would otherwise have to hike in on foot.

    And wildland firefighters in hotter climates sometimes work bimodal shifts — toiling in the morning hours, then pulling back during the heat of the day and getting back out as things cool down in the evening, Mallia said.

    Still, some say more changes may be necessary as the planet continues to warm. That could include sending more firefighters to an incident so they can distribute the workload more evenly, or placing more emphasis on nighttime operations.

    The conditions also illustrate the increasing prudence of managing some backcountry fires for ecological benefit, treating them more like controlled burns rather than trying to immediately suppress them, Duncan said. That benefits the environment, and it protects the physical health of firefighters by permitting them to focus on fires threatening people or structures, she said. The idea remains politically unpopular, she noted.

    It will also be increasingly key to set more controlled fires in the spring and fall to reduce the amount of fuel on the ground come summer, Ingalsbee said.

    “Big picture, we’re going to have to be proactively managing fire during the cooler period of the year, rather than attacking all fires at the hottest period of the year, when we fail, and we surpass human physical ability for working in these kinds of conditions,” he said.

    One thing appears certain: These conditions are unlikely to improve.

    “I got a desperate call this morning from one of our members just like, ‘When is this going to end?’ ” he said Wednesday. “The heat is not ending. We’re just going to have to adapt to the new normal, whatever that is.”

    [ad_2]

    Alex Wigglesworth

    Source link

  • How Death Valley National Park tries to keep visitors alive amid record heat

    How Death Valley National Park tries to keep visitors alive amid record heat

    [ad_1]

    FURNACE CREEK, Calif. — 

    As temperatures swelled to 128 degrees, Death Valley National Park rangers got a call that a group of six motorcyclists were in distress. All available medics rushed to the scene, and rangers dispatched the park’s two ambulances.

    It was an “all-hands-on-deck call,” said Spencer Solomon, Death Valley National Park’s emergency medical coordinator. The superheated air was too thin for an emergency helicopter to respond, but the team requested mutual aid from nearby fire departments.

    They arrived Saturday to find one motorcyclist unresponsive, and medics labored unsuccessfully to resuscitate him. Another rider who had fallen unconscious was loaded into an ambulance, where emergency medical technicians attempted to rapidly cool the victim with ice as they transported him to an intensive care unit in Las Vegas. The four other motorcyclists were treated at the site and released.

    With record heat blanketing California and much of the West recently, Death Valley has hit at least 125 degrees every day since the Fourth of July, and that streak isn’t likely to change until the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

    Tourist Dave Hsu, left, feigns a chill as friend Tom Black takes a photograph at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center’s digital thermometer.

    Extreme heat is both one of Death Valley’s greatest intrigues and its most serious safety concern. It’s not uncommon for a few people to die in the park from heatstroke in any given summer.

    Located 200 feet below sea level and surrounded by steep, towering mountain ranges that trap heat, the valley is consistently among the hottest places on Earth.

    In the summer, international travelers often schedule their trips without considering the weather. (All six of the men who fell victim to extreme temperatures near Badwater Basin on Saturday were from Germany.)

    But even Southern California residents who are familiar with Death Valley’s hellish reputation will trek to the park just to experience the otherworldly heat.

    “In L.A., people said, ‘No, don’t go out there; you’re crazy,’” said Nick Van Schaick, who visited the park early this week. He had spent the night in the nearby town of Beatty, Nev., then drove into the park at the crack of dawn Tuesday. “I don’t know. … There’s something compelling about this landscape.”

    A road cuts through a desert.

    Visitors to Death Valley National Park drive in and out of the park on Highway 190 through the Panamint Valley, where temperatures were as high as 125 degrees recently.

    Virtually all heat-related deaths are preventable, experts say, but what makes heat so dangerous is that it sneaks up on its victims.

    The risk of Death Valley’s heat seems painfully obvious. It’s hard to miss the dozens of “Heat kills” signs throughout the park, and stepping out of a car there for the first time feels like sticking your face in an opened oven. Within seconds, your eyes begin to burn and your lips crack. Your skin feels completely dry — even though you’re sweating profusely, the sweat evaporates almost instantaneously.

    But one of the first symptoms people experience as their core temperature begins to rise is confusion, which can inhibit a person’s ability to recognize that something is wrong or understand how to save themselves.

    Studies have also shown that although almost everyone understands how to prevent heat illness, too few take action to protect themselves. That’s in part because many think they are uniquely able to handle the heat when in fact they are not. In 2021, a Death Valley visitor died from heat just days after another visitor had died on the same trail.

    It’s a one-two punch. Hikers ignore the symptoms of heat exhaustion because they’re excited to hike or have nowhere else to go, said Bill Hanson, an instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates International and a flight paramedic in central Texas who specializes in heat-related emergencies. Then, “when a person reaches a pretty profound state of heat exhaustion — which by itself is not a lethal condition — and they’re still in that environment, the likelihood they’ll make the right decisions and reverse the process … is reduced because they have a reduced ability to make good decisions at all.”

    One of the reasons that humans are quickly overcome by extreme heat is that there’s only one route for heat to exit the body. Blood carries heat from our core to our skin, and, when the breeze is too hot to carry heat away from us, the body can release it only through the evaporation of sweat. Any of that sweat that drips to the ground or is wiped off the face is a missed opportunity to cool down.

    People stand on a white plain.

    Visitors walk out onto the salt flats at Badwater Basin, taking advantage of cooler morning temperatures on a day when the mercury would rise as high as 125 degrees in Death Valley National Park.

    In Death Valley, the air is so dry that sweat evaporates very easily, unlike in humid climates where the atmosphere contains more moisture. With profuse sweating, however, dehydration comes quickly. The park recommends visitors do their best to replenish lost water and drink at least a gallon a day if they’re spending time doing any physical activity outside.

    But sweating and constant hydration will work only to a point.

    “A 130-degree environment … there’s going to be a limited shelf life on a human body’s ability to exist in that environment without some technological support,” Hanson said.

    Because of this, the park says to never hike after 10 a.m. during periods of extreme heat and recommends never straying more than five minutes away from the nearest air conditioning, whether it be in a car or building.

    In the heat, sticking in groups can also save lives. While it might be difficult for a confused heat illness victim to recognize the symptoms or remember how to save themselves, friends can spot problems. In general, if you struggle to do anything that is normally easy for you — physically or mentally — stop to rest and seek cooler conditions immediately.

    Muscle cramps are often the first sign the body is struggling to stay cool. They’re probably caused by a toxic concoction of dehydration, muscle fatigue and a lack of electrolytes like sodium, which are essential for chauffeuring water and nutrients throughout the body. Cramps are a sign that the body’s process for dumping heat is under stress.

    A woman take a photograph of a desert landscape.

    Death Valley National Park visitor Steffi Meister, from Switzerland, photographs the landscape at Zabriskie Point where temperatures were as high as 125 degrees recently.

    As the body struggles, heat exhaustion starts to set in. The brain, heart and other organs become tired from working to maintain the body’s typical temperature of 98 degrees. As the body passes 101 degrees, victims can start experiencing dizziness, confusion and headaches. It’s not uncommon for them to vomit, feel weak or even faint.

    As the body passes 104 degrees, the entire central nervous system — responsible for regulating heat in the first place — can no longer handle the stress of the high temperatures. It starts to shut down. The victim might get so confused and disoriented that they no longer make sense. They might not even be able to communicate. They can start to have seizures and fall into a coma.

    “To me, as a park medic, if you’re unresponsive, you’re going to the hospital,” Solomon said, “because your brain is essentially cooking.”

    At this point, the heat has done irreversible damage that can leave the victim disabled for years to come. If internal temperatures don’t fall quickly, death becomes a very real possibility. Organs can fail within hours, killing the victim, even after their temperature starts to drop.

    Heat illness can come on within just minutes or take hours to develop. “There’s kind of a weird phenomenon where there’s two times of day where we’ll get 911 calls for people who have fallen ill” due to heat sickness, Solomon said.

    One is in the middle of the afternoon, when the heat is at its worst. The other is near 11 p.m. — visitors will feel OK during the day, but get increasingly dehydrated as they continue to exert themselves. “Then, they check into their hotel room and fall ill,” Solomon said.

    In some extreme cases, heatstroke can overwhelm a person so fast that muscle cramps and other symptoms of heat exhaustion don’t have time to show. The Death Valley emergency response team typically gets about two or three heat illness calls per week in the summer, with visitors experiencing symptoms across the spectrum from mild fatigue to loss of consciousness.

    Heatstroke experts overwhelmingly agree on the most effective treatment: cooling the patient as fast as possible.

    “The key to survival is getting their body temperature under 104 within 30 minutes of the presentation of the condition,” said Douglas Casa, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut and the chief executive of the Korey Stringer Institute, a leading voice in treating heatstrokes. “It’s 100% survivability if you do that, which is amazing because there’s not too many life-threatening emergencies in the world that have 100% survivability if treated correctly.”

    The fastest way to cool a patient is a cool ice bath, experts say. Hanson said his team in Texas will fly an ice bath on a helicopter and cool the victim in the middle of the desert until their temperature stabilizes before the medics even transport them.

    However, in Death Valley, getting an ice bath to victims can be nearly impossible. The hot air is so thin that the team can’t fly helicopters. Instead, they bring a body bag and cool the victim inside with ice and cool towels as they’re transported via ambulance.

    Although emergencies are regular, the park says they are preventable, and if people follow park guidance, they can experience the heat safely.

    “It really is a reason why some people come to visit — because this is one of the few places on Earth where you can feel what that level of heat feels like,” said supervisory park ranger Jennette Jurado. “It’s our job as park rangers to do our very best to make sure people can have these experiences and then go home safely at the end of the day and remember these experiences.”

    Four people in a pool.

    Visitors take a late-afternoon swim in the pool at Furnace Creek, where temperatures lingered in the 120s inside Death Valley National Park.

    For Jurado, a safe visit looks like taking refuge in air conditioning during the hottest parts of the day and experiencing the heat in short five-minute intervals. The vast majority of visitors take this approach. If they hike at all, it’s early in the morning, and the car never leaves their sight. The rest of the day, they spend hanging at the hotel or by the pool — or they leave the park.

    Although it might be possible for someone to — wrongly — convince themselves that a 90-degree heat wave in the city won’t affect them personally, it’s much harder to do that in a Death Valley heat wave.

    Ironically, this makes Jurado worry more about cooler days in the park, when visitors may not be most on guard. When hikers died within days of each other a few years back, it was an unseasonably cool 105 degrees in the park.

    “It’s that level of heat where people are like, ‘Oh, it’s not Death Valley hot, I can hike longer — I can take more risks,’” Jurado said.

    [ad_2]

    Noah Haggerty

    Source link

  • Wildfire destroys 13 homes in Northern California as heat wave continues

    Wildfire destroys 13 homes in Northern California as heat wave continues

    [ad_1]

    A wildfire that broke out near Oroville last week amid California’s record-breaking heat wave destroyed 13 homes and more than a dozen other buildings, state fire officials said.

    The Thompson fire arrived Friday in lockstep with a heat wave that parked itself over the West, setting the stage for the fire to sustain itself on brush and vegetation in extreme heat and dry winds in Butte County. Over the weekend, it grew to 3,789 acres before it was declared 100% contained on Monday by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

    “The word that our fire chief has been using to describe the fire is stubborn,” Cal Fire spokesperson Rick Carhart said. “The fire broke out on a day that was extremely hot, quite windy and the humidity was almost nothing.”

    The fire was fanned by 20 mph north winds and burned through steep terrain, putting a strain on firefighters battling the flames.

    Thirteen single-family homes were destroyed, five homes were damaged, and 13 other buildings were also destroyed, according to Cal Fire. Two firefighters have been injured, Carhart said. There have been no reports of civilian injuries.

    Though the Thompson fire is contained, the lingering heat wave sets the stage for more dry conditions with extreme heat that could drive more fast-moving wildfires and stretch firefighting resources thin. Temperatures on Tuesday continued to linger 10-15 degrees above average across huge swaths of the state and show no signs of letting up until the weekend.

    “That prolonged heat really makes a big difference that stresses the vegetation and especially the firefighters,” meteorologist Alex Tardy with the National Weather Service in San Diego said.

    Among the other fires in the state, the Vista fire in the San Bernardino National Forest is burning through steep terrain near Mt. Baldy and Wrightwood, the U.S. Forest Service said.

    The fire nearly doubled in size overnight and has burned 1,095 acres since it started Sunday afternoon in steep, remote terrain. Details on the fire’s containment were not immediately available.

    Temperatures around the fire near Mt. Baldy, which is around 7,000 feet in elevation, will reach up to the 90s on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Firefighters can also expect to see noticeable wind gusts, but they should follow a predictable pattern, rising in the day and dropping at night, Tardy said.

    The area is flush with vegetation now in the heat after a strong rainy season.

    “That area near Lytle Creek is the wettest part of the mountain with a lot of vegetation,” Tardy said. “That means a lot of fuels are already in place.”

    The severity and persistence of this heat wave is unprecedented, according to meteorologists, setting several records for high temperatures across the Golden State and the Western United States.

    Lancaster and Palmdale continued to stretch their all-time record of consecutive days at or above 110 degrees, reaching five days on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The prior record for both Antelope Valley cities was three days.

    Las Vegas is expected to break its all-time record for consecutive days at 110 degrees or above, hitting five days in a row Monday. The current record is 10 days in a row, but forecasts show temperatures will remain that high through next week, easily toppling the previous record.

    Several other areas, including Madera and Needles, also hit daily their record highs on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Palmdale reached 112 degrees on Monday, recording above normal temperature for the fourth day in a row.

    Madera hit 110 degrees, beating a record by three degrees; Merced hit 109 degrees, inching past its daily record from 1921; Las Vegas hit 115 degrees, one degree above its prior July 8 record set in 2021; and Needles, in the Mojave Desert, hit 123 degrees, breaking its July 8 record from 2017 by three degrees.

    In Santa Barbara County, a wildfire forced residents near Figueroa Mountain to leave their homes as authorities issued evacuation orders Monday.

    The Lake fire continues to burn on the western edge of the Los Padres National Forest amid record low levels of moisture, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire was first reported Friday afternoon northeast of the city of Los Olivos and has burned 26,176 acres since then to become the biggest fire in California so far this year, officials said.

    The fire is burning near Zaca Lake and several residential properties including the Sycamore Valley Ranch, formerly Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Firefighters reported 12% containment as of Tuesday morning.

    An evacuation is in effect for parts of Figueroa Mountain, south of Tunnel House at Sisquoc River, east of Figueroa Creek, north of the southern end of Cachuma Mountain, and west of Los Padres National Forest areas, officials announced on Monday. Though most of the fire’s growth overnight occurred in isolated pockets of forest, it pushed evacuation warnings Tuesday to the edge of communities in Los Olivos and Santa Ynez and triggered expanded evacuation orders to Goat Rock, east of Figueroa Creek, north of the U.S. Forest Service entrance at Happy Canyon Road and south of Cachuma Mountain.

    The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the area Tuesday afternoon because of high winds and extreme heat.

    “It’s hot, dry and stronger winds are in effect today,” said fire behavior analyst trainee Dan Michael with the Interagency Incident Management team responding to the fire.

    Even at night when fire activity usually dies down, the Lake fire has remained active because it’s burning on top of mountain ridges where it can be 30 degrees warmer or more than lower elevations, Michael said.

    “The marine layer comes in and it’s not able to reach where the fire is burning,” Michael said. “The conditions are much worse at night.”

    Los Angeles Times staff reporter Grace Toohey contributed to this story.

    [ad_2]

    Nathan Solis

    Source link

  • This Ancient Technology Is Helping Millions Stay Cool

    This Ancient Technology Is Helping Millions Stay Cool

    [ad_1]

    Cheap, low-energy evaporative cooling devices are keeping water, food, people, and even whole buildings cool across India.

    [ad_2]

    Nadeem Sarwar, Shreya Fotedar

    Source link

  • Heat Protection for Workers – KXL

    Heat Protection for Workers – KXL

    [ad_1]

    Record breaking temperatures killed dozens of Oregonians in 2021. So Oregon’s OSHA put new rules in place for worker heat protections, which took effect last summer. The rules say employers must provide at least four cups of water per hour to workers outside. That water must be under 77 degrees. They require workplaces to provide employees with ventilated shaded areas, breaks to avoid heat illness, and equipment to call for medical help.

    The Biden administration is proposing new heat rules that would protect workers across the country from dying of heat exposure.  “Workers suffer heat stroke or even die just doing their jobs. This new rule will substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses, and deaths for over 36 million workers, from farm workers to construction workers, postal workers, manufacturing workers,” said the President.

    Extreme heat kills at least 1, 220 people in our country each year.

    More about:

    [ad_2]

    Annette Newell

    Source link

  • Motorcycle tour of Death Valley turns fatal as thermometer cracks 128 degrees

    Motorcycle tour of Death Valley turns fatal as thermometer cracks 128 degrees

    [ad_1]

    As the temperature climbed Saturday to a record 128 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley National Park, a group of motorcyclists became distressed by the extreme heat, and one of them died, a park ranger said.

    The motorcyclists were touring the park near Badwater Basin, a stretch of salt flats that is also the lowest point in North America, when — in the mid- to late afternoon — they reported being affected by the extreme heat, according to park ranger Nichole Andler.

    One of the riders was pronounced dead at the site, and another person with severe heat illness was taken to Las Vegas, Andler said. Four others in the group were treated and released.

    The name of the deceased motorcyclist, or other identifying information, was not released, and the specific cause of death will be determined by the coroner, Andler said.

    “Yesterday it was 128 degrees, which was a record high for that day in Death Valley,” the ranger noted, “and these folks were traveling through on motorcycles, and most likely they didn’t have adequate cooling.”

    The heat also hindered the rescue effort. When temperatures exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, a medical helicopter cannot access the park. Air expands when it is heated, becoming thinner than cold air. So, helicopters can’t get the lift needed to fly.

    But Andler said that, in addition to park rangers, first responders from Inyo County and nearby Pahrump, Nev., assisted the bikers.

    Saturday’s temperature was just shy of the all-time heat record in Death Valley — 134 degrees, which was set on July 10, 1913. Since record-keeping began in 1911, temperatures have reached or exceeded 130 degrees only three times — with two of those times since 2020: Aug. 16, 2020, and again on July 9, 2021.

    Each year, at least one to three people die of heat-related illnesses while visiting the park, and each week, there are one to three calls for medical assistance for heat-related stress.

    “Folks get excited about experiencing the warmest temperatures that they’ve ever experienced before, and sometimes they forget that if an hour ago they were hot and started to feel nauseous, then they need to spend the rest of the day in air conditioning — because that could be the earliest sign of heat illness,” Andler said. “If you warm up and never properly cool down, your body doesn’t get a chance to reset.”

    Elsewhere in Southern California, the heat shattered records and broiled communities.

    Leela Finley Little, 6, cools off Sunday at Tierra Bonita Park in Lancaster, which saw a high Sunday of 115.

    (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

    On Sunday, Palmdale and Lancaster each set record highs for that date — with Palmdale seeing a 114-degree high, exceeding the record of 110 set in 1989. In Lancaster, the 115 degrees recorded Sunday topped the record of 110 reported in 1989 and 2017.

    The National Weather Service said that extreme heat would continue this week across the Southland, with highs of 105 to 115 in the interior valleys, mountains and deserts.

    The excessive-heat warning was extended to 9 p.m. Thursday for the western San Gabriel Mountains, the Antelope Valley, Angeles Crest Highway and the corridors of the 5 and 14 freeways.

    Another excessive-heat warning was in place until Wednesday for the Santa Clarita Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, Calabasas, the San Fernando Valley and eastern San Gabriel Mountains — regions where temperatures were forecast to exceed 100 degrees, according to the weather service.

    [ad_2]

    Matt Hamilton

    Source link

  • Biden administration proposes rule for workplaces to address excessive heat

    Biden administration proposes rule for workplaces to address excessive heat

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — The Biden administration proposed a new rule Tuesday to address excessive heat in the workplace, as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories due to blistering temperatures.

    If finalized, the measure would protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job – establishing the first major federal safety standard of its kind. Those affected by excessive heat in the workplace include farmworkers, delivery and construction workers, landscapers as well as indoor workers in warehouses, factories and kitchens.

    President Joe Biden planned to highlight the rule on Tuesday when he gets a briefing on extreme weather and delivers remarks.

    Despite increased awareness of the risks posed to human health by high temperatures, extreme heat protections – for those routinely exposed to heat index readings above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) – have lagged.

    Under the proposed rule, employers would be required to identify heat hazards, develop emergency response plans related to heat illness, and provide training to employees and supervisors on the signs and symptoms of such illnesses. They would also have to establish rest breaks, provide shade and water, and heat acclimatization – or the building of tolerance to higher temperatures – for new workers.

    Penalties for heat-related violations in workplaces would increase significantly, in line with what workplaces are issued for violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules, a senior White House administration official said.

    An estimated 2,300 people in the U.S. died from heat-related illness in 2023. Workers with prolonged exposure to extreme heat are among the most vulnerable to related health risks, such as heatstroke and other illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    As the hottest month of the year gets underway, millions of Americans will be at greater risk of heat strokes, dangerous dehydration and heat-related heart stress.

    The Labor Department has been developing a standard for how workplaces deal with heat since 2021, with OSHA having held meetings last year to hear about how the proposed measures could affect small businesses.

    Heat protection laws in the U.S. have faced steady industry opposition, including from chambers of commerce and other business associations. Many say a blanket mandate would be difficult to implement across such a wide range of industries.

    California, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington are the only states with workplace standards for heat exposure. Some regulations have recently come under attack by Republicans. Over the past year, Florida and Texas, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, passed legislation preventing local governments from requiring heat protections for outdoor workers.

    If finalized, the Biden administration’s rule would override state measures, and states with existing procedures to deal with heat would have to institute measures that are at least as stringent as the finalized federal rule.

    Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

    [ad_2]

    AP

    Source link

  • How do pets react to California’s extreme heat?

    How do pets react to California’s extreme heat?

    [ad_1]

    (FOX40.COM) – California’s extreme heat temperatures may be dangerous for humans, but they are also problematic for pets too.
    • Video Above: Most popular pets

    Every year hundreds of pets die from heat-related illnesses. Some animal fatalities occur from being left outdoors during heat waves, and others from being left in parked vehicles during times of elevated temperatures.

    According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, and almost 30 degrees in 20 minutes. At one hour, a vehicle’s inside temperature can be more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature – even on a 70-degree day.

    The National Weather Service of Sacramento advised pet owners to never leave their animals unattended in a vehicle, even with windows cracked. Studies show that rolled-down windows have little effect in preventing heat-related illnesses.

    “Your furry friends are impacted by the heat too!” NWS said in a social media post. “Animals can die of a heatstroke within 15 minutes.”

    Signs of heat stroke in dogs and pets

    The California Department of Public Health warned of signs of heat-related illness to look for in animals:

    • Breathing quickly or panting louder/heavier than usual. Open-mouthed breathing/panting in cats is not normal and is a sign of being extremely hot, stressed, or sick.
    • Weakness and/or collapse
    • Dry or sticky gums
    • Pale, muddy, or red-colored gums (normal is light pink and moist)
    • Drooling
    • Vomiting or diarrhea
    • Excessively tired, dizzy, or confused
    • Bruising or bleeding​

    To prevent heat-related illness and/or death, CDPH advised pet owners to provide their animals with fresh cool water in tip-proof bowl, don’t force them to exercise when it is hot and humid, bring pets inside during periods of extreme heat, ensure pets have plenty of shade, provide protective booties against hot asphalt/concrete, and keep pets well-groomed.

    [ad_2]

    Veronica Catlin

    Source link

  • How much worse will extreme heat get by 2050? New report outlines worrisome future

    How much worse will extreme heat get by 2050? New report outlines worrisome future

    [ad_1]

    The next quarter of a century will bring considerable climate danger to millions of Americans living in disadvantaged communities, who will not only experience increased exposure to life-threatening extreme heat but also greater hardships from reduced energy reliability, a new nationwide report has found.

    The report, published Wednesday by the ICF Climate Center, examines global warming projections in Justice40 communities — those identified by the federal government as marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution. The Justice40 Initiative was established under President Biden’s strategy to tackle the climate crisis, which aims to funnel 40% of benefits from certain federal climate, energy and housing investments into these communities.

    Aggressive and impactful reporting on climate change, the environment, health and science.

    But the report outlines a stark future for residents in these areas, including many in California.

    Under a moderate-emissions scenario — one in which current fossil fuel consumption peaks in the coming decades and then starts to decline — at least 25 million people in disadvantaged communities will be exposed to health-threatening extreme heat annually by 2050, the report found.

    Under a high-emissions scenario, reflecting unchanged “business as usual” greenhouse gas emissions, that number soars to 53 million people. Extreme heat is defined as at least 48 health-threatening heat days per year.

    “We were a bit surprised at those numbers — they’re large and meaningful,” said Mason Fried, one of the report’s authors and the director of climate science at ICF, a global consulting firm. “The potential exposure of extreme heat does seem to fall disproportionately on disadvantaged communities.”

    The report also notes that about 8 million people in Justice40 communities are already exposed to heat waves that can affect their energy systems, including triggering power outages. But by 2050, that number could rise to 34 million under a moderate-emissions scenario and 43 million under a high-emissions scenario.

    It isn’t only disadvantaged communities that will experience the worsening effects of extreme heat, which is one of the deadliest and most widespread climate risks.

    Under a moderate-emissions scenario — the most likely one — 41 million Americans outside of Justice40 communities will also be exposed to 48 or more health-threatening heat days by 2050, and 44 million will experience energy-impacting heat, the report found.

    The effects will not be equal, however. Many marginalized communities are already at a disadvantage when it comes to extreme heat for a variety of reasons, including the population’s average age and preexisting health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which can be exacerbated by heat.

    Lack of tree canopy, lack of air conditioning at home or work and inefficient infrastructure can also play a part, said V. Kelly Turner, an associate director of urban planning at UCLA who did not work on the report.

    “Everybody’s going to be exposed to more heat, so is the question really, how much more exposed? Or is the question, how many people are living with inadequate infrastructure to keep them safe when it is hot?” said Turner, who also co-directs the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.

    In places like Los Angeles, temperatures can vary by several degrees between neighboring areas just because of differences in vegetation, asphalt and the built environment.

    Even still, many Angelenos are better acclimated to higher temperatures than people in cooler parts of the state or country, Turner said.

    “It’s about what you’re used to versus what you’re exposed to,” she said.

    That’s why the report’s findings about energy impacts are particularly worrisome.

    “It’s those northern latitude communities where this might become particularly difficult if the energy grid fails,” she said. “In Northern California [and places] where you aren’t thinking about heat all the time, that’s where maybe you’re not prepared as much.”

    Indeed, the report’s projections show an intensification of potential exposure not only in traditionally hot areas, but in regions that historically have not experienced very high temperatures, such as the Northwest and Midwest. Fried referenced the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome, which caused more than 650 deaths in the U.S. and Canada.

    “It’s a phase change,” he said. “It’s a fundamentally different kind of exposure, which could have outsize impacts in the future.”

    In fact, the report shows, most of California will in some ways fare better than other parts of the country, such as Texas and the Southeast, which are expected to see some of the worst heat outcomes by 2050.

    Only a smattering of Justice40 communities in the Golden State will see 48 or more health-threatening heat days under a moderate-emissions scenario, with additional communities appearing under a high-emissions scenario.

    But the Central Valley and southeastern California light up like a summer fireworks show when it comes to energy-impacting heat days, the report shows — meaning many people in those areas could suffer from power outages and swelter without air conditioning or other forms of relief.

    “It doesn’t take much, or a large increase in extreme heat, to get a tipping point there,” Fried said.

    A map shows how increasing heat days could impact energy systems across the country by 2050.

    Increasing heat days could affect energy systems across the country by 2050, including in California. Projections are worse under a high-emissions scenario.

    (ICF / ClimateSight)

    The report outlines a number of high-level recommendations for policymakers, such as identifying at-risk communities and engaging stakeholders in the planning and preparation for these scenarios. It also points out that more federal funding is being made available to tackle extreme heat through Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

    Among those federal endeavors are two new national centers to support community heat monitoring and resilience, which were announced this week by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    One federal center will be based in Durham, N.C., and the other will be at UCLA and directed by Turner, who described it as “an all-hands-on-deck approach to learn from existing efforts to prevent the worst consequences of extreme heat.”

    The center will work to get nonprofit organizations, cities, academic institutions and international and tribal communities into the same room to distill general and specific lessons and help determine the best paths forward, Turner said. It will also fund 10 communities over each of the next three years with the goal of providing recommendations to the federal government about how best to “support local communities as they transition to a more heat-resilient future.”

    Turner said California and Los Angeles are doing a good job, but should look beyond efforts such as urban tree canopy improvements and cool roof and pavement installations. There is more to do, including deeper analysis of heat exposure in specific locales and regulations that can have an effect.

    Her recommendations include rethinking how the Federal Emergency Management System evaluates heat risk and property damage; ensuring that vulnerable communities have the technical support they need to apply for grants and secure funding; creating low-income housing energy assistance programs; and passing legislation to provide cooling to all residents, Turner said.

    She pointed to California’s plan to establish the first statewide ranking system for heat waves as a positive example, as well as new heat monitoring tools from NOAA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    The ICF report comes at a moment when heat records are continually being broken around the globe, with 2023 going down as the planet’s hottest year on record.

    What’s more, the 2050 projections are for a “typical year,” but Fried said recent experience has shown many years can be atypical due to El Niño or other effects that can make them far warmer, with even worse potential outcomes.

    That’s why it’s not only important to help vulnerable populations prepare for a warmer future, but also to continue pushing to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and other sources of planet-warming emissions that are driving the scenarios depicted in the report, he said.

    “If we take steps to mitigate emissions, we can do better than what’s pictured here,” he said.

    [ad_2]

    Hayley Smith

    Source link