It’s been chilly and rainy in metro Detroit since late Tuesday night, and it just keeps getting wetter.
Remnants of Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season, are causing heavy rain over the Midwest, which will persist in Southeast Michigan throughout Wednesday as the storm moves over Lake Erie.
A flood advisory has been issued for metro Detroit until 4 p.m., and a flood watch is in effect for most of Southeast Michigan until 8 p.m.
Prepare to take action if necessary, as excessive rainfall may cause flooding of low-lying streets, rivers, creeks, and streams. Some flooding has already occurred, so check your basements periodically, especially if you’re in a flood-prone area.
With the heavy rain, Wednesday’s temperatures have been primarily in the low 70s, which feels pretty cold following the early 90 degree weather that the area has experienced recently.
The air will be drier with highs in the upper 70s on Thursday.
By Friday, the heat and humidity will return, with parts of the weekend and early next week feeling like over 90 degrees.
Stay dry today, but you may want to get wet again soon since it’ll be so hot.
Heat advisories in effect Wednesday with highs feeling like the triple digits
Rain chances are lower today allowing temperatures to get hotter
Updated: 5:50 AM EDT Jul 10, 2024
OH MAN, YOU DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT POP UP WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE HEAT ADVISORIES. WE’VE GOT ONE AGAIN TODAY. KELLIANNE YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT WAS A NICE BREAK YESTERDAY WITH ALL THOSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARRIVING EARLIER ON IN THE DAY, HELPING US FEEL A LITTLE BIT COOLER. BUT TODAY, LOWER RAIN CHANCES MEANS HOT AIR AGAIN. SO HEAT ADVISORY WILL START AT 11:00 THIS MORNING AND GO UNTIL 6:00 THIS EVENING. AND THAT’S FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE FLAGLER, MARION, SUMTER OR POLK COUNTIES, BUT EVERYONE TODAY IS JUST STILL GOING TO FEEL HOT. WHETHER YOU’RE IN THAT HEAT ADVISORY OR NOT. NOW LOOK HOW QUICKLY SOME LOCATIONS FEEL LIKE THE TRIPLE DIGITS. BY 10:00 IT WILL FEEL LIKE 101 IN PALM COAST, 100 IN DELAND, 96 HERE IN ORLANDO, AND ALMOST 100 DEGREES IN SANFORD. AND IN DAYTONA BEACH, AND THEN BY PEAK HEATING TWO THREE, 4:00 IT WILL FEEL A LOT MORE LIKE 103 TO 107. SO IT’S GOING TO BE A HOT DAY AHEAD. THAT’S WHY FROM 11 UNTIL SIX WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL AN IMPACT PERIOD FOR THAT DANGEROUS AND INTENSE HEAT RAIN, NOT SO MUCH IN OUR FORECAST TODAY. IT’S GOING TO BE ON THE LOWER END. AND THANKFULLY WE’RE NOT REALLY GOING TO SEE A LOT OF SEVERE WEATHER EITHER. JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK PASSING SHOWERS. HERE’S A LOOK AT 330 4:00. MUCH OF THE MORNING. AFTERNOON IS DRY. A COUPLE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AROUND FIVE AND SIX. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE MAINLY FOR OUR NORTHEASTERN AND EASTERN SPOTS. I DO BELIEVE IF YOU’RE IN OUR CENTRAL AND WESTERN LOCATIONS TODAY, THAT YOU HAVE A BETTER SHOT OF SEEING DRY AIR, A COUPLE OF MORE LINGERING SHOWERS THROUGH ABOUT 839 ACROSS PARTS OF THE CAPE AND THEN RIGHT BEFORE MIDNIGHT. WE ARE ON THE DRY SIDE. THEN TOMORROW OUR RAIN CHANCES ARE BACK UP. THAT MEANS THAT OUR TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO FALL INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 80S. WITH A FEW SPOTS BACK TOWARDS THE WEST IN THE LOW 90S. FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURES WON’T BE THAT HOT EITHER. WE’LL SEE. OUR FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURES REACH ANYWHERE FROM THE MIDDLE 90S TO ABOUT 100 TO 101, SO NOT AS HOT TOMORROW. MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST THIS WEEKEND. A FRONT UP NORTH FADES. WE’LL HAVE HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE, BUT DESPITE THAT HIGH PRESSURE, WE’LL STILL BE TRACKING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BOTH SATURDAY AND ON SUNDAY. BUT IT IS GOING TO GET HOT. OUR TEMPERATURES THIS WEEKEND RETURNED BACK TO THE MIDDLE 90S, EVEN WARMER ON MONDAY AT 95 DEGREES, DROPPING DOWN TO 94 DEGREES
Heat advisories in effect Wednesday with highs feeling like the triple digits
Rain chances are lower today allowing temperatures to get hotter
Updated: 5:50 AM EDT Jul 10, 2024
This afternoon will feature drier air, but it will get hot. Highs reach the middle 90s and rain chances will reach 30%. This dip in lower rain chances won’t last long. More showers & storms will be on the way tomorrow. Rain chances increase to 50% by the afternoon and evening. Highs tomorrow dip into the upper 80s briefly, then return to the lower 90s by Friday. Rain chances stay scattered going into the weekend. The only difference is this weekend will be hot. Highs reach the middle 90s both days.Mid 90s continue into the new workweek. Highs on Monday reach 95°, then down to 94° on Tuesday. Scattered PM showers & storms will once again be on tap.
This afternoon will feature drier air, but it will get hot. Highs reach the middle 90s and rain chances will reach 30%. This dip in lower rain chances won’t last long. More showers & storms will be on the way tomorrow. Rain chances increase to 50% by the afternoon and evening. Highs tomorrow dip into the upper 80s briefly, then return to the lower 90s by Friday.
Rain chances stay scattered going into the weekend. The only difference is this weekend will be hot. Highs reach the middle 90s both days.
Mid 90s continue into the new workweek. Highs on Monday reach 95°, then down to 94° on Tuesday. Scattered PM showers & storms will once again be on tap.
DENVER — Denver and the Front Range are preparing for intense heat that will start on Friday and persist through Sunday, the peak of the three-day heat wave.
Daytime temperatures are expected to soar to 101 to 104 degrees, with little relief at night. This extreme heat poses potential health risks, so it’s crucial to stay hydrated and cool.
Denver7
While the upcoming temperatures are significantly higher than the norm for this time of year, it’s worth remembering that Colorado and Denver have endured their fair share of triple-digit misery.
The Mile High City has seen 106 instances of such extreme heat since 1872, according to the National Weather Service.
However, it’s important to note that Denver rarely experiences consecutive days of 100-degree weather, with only 15 such occurrences on record. On three occasions — June 2012, July 2005, and July 1989—Denver experienced five consecutive days of temperatures reaching 100 degrees or more, the most consecutive triple-digit days the city has seen.
According to NWS records, the last time Denver experienced a triple whammy of 100-degree days—what we will likely experience this weekend—was in June 2021.
The hottest temperature recorded in Denver was 105 degrees, which occurred only on five occasions since 1872. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Colorado was 115 degrees. That record occurred on July 20, 2019, near Lamar in southeast Colorado.
Denver7 | Weather
Denver heat wave this weekend could break records with 100-degree temps expected
1:05 PM, Jul 09, 2024
The last time Denver saw triple-digit temperatures was last month, when the city reached 100 degrees on June 25. It was the city’s first triple-digit reading for the season and the first time Denver got to 100 in two years, according to NWS records.
The warmest July occurred in 2012 when the monthly mean temperature reached 78.9 degrees. That summer of 2012 was also the warmest on record for Denver and the state.
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Amid dangerous heat waves, nearly 250 people who live at Eaves Fairfax Towers in Falls Church, Virginia, have been without air conditioning for two weeks and are desperate for relief.
Amid dangerous heat waves, the nearly 250 people who live at Eaves Fairfax Towers in Falls Church, Virginia, have been without air conditioning for two weeks and are desperate for relief.
“No sleep for the last 15 days,” resident Sonny Singh said. “Look at the weather outside, you sweat in two seconds. Inside, it’s a box.”
Singh shared an email with WTOP from the apartment’s management team sent June 22.
“It has been brought to our attention that last night the Cooling Tower unexpectedly went down for the odd side of the building. One of the blades for the fan had broken off and caused damage. Our maintenance team is already hard at work getting a rental Cooling Tower up and running until we receive the new part,” the email read.
The management team went on to say that they’re committed to repairing the cooling tower and restoring the air conditioning as soon as possible. They also suggested residents keep the windows closed, blinds down and turn on the AC fan for additional cooling.
“We have been sleeping on the couch in the living room because we cannot access the bedroom because it’s very hot,” resident Vatsal Shah said. “This situation is really unbearable, it’s getting out of hand.”
On June 25, the apartment’s management team said it ordered the necessary parts to fix the tower and repairs are projected to begin mid-July. They also were able to implement a temporary fix that allowed half the floors that were impacted to have AC and provided portable units to those still impacted.
“I don’t feel like I should be paying for the rent when I’m not able to live normally, like a human being,” Patrycja Dziewa said. “I haven’t been able to sleep for the past two weeks. I slept maybe two hours a night.”
A portable AC units provided to those impacted by the outages.
Dziewa said the portable units don’t work properly and are unable to cool down the apartments. She said even with the unit in her apartment, it’s 92 degrees inside and there’s been no relief.
“What they do is they keep coming back and adding more tape to the portable units in the windows,” Dziewa said. “It keeps falling. I think I request maintenance six to seven times a day.”
As of this week, the apartment complex said it received the parts and they have given approval to a contractor to begin repairs immediately. According to an email neighbors shared, repairs will begin Monday night, but there is no timeline on how long it will take.
WTOP has contacted Eaves Fairfax Towers for comment, but did not get a response.
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A blistering heat wave blanketing parts of Southern California is expected to extend through the weekend, pushing temperatures well past 100 degrees in valleys and inland areas while continuing to create dangerous fire conditions across the state.
Temperatures in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys on Saturday were expected to range from the mid-90s to a high of 105 degrees, while the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys were likely to see highs of up to 115 degrees, officials said.
“We could be approaching or exceeding all time record highs in Lancaster and Palmdale,” said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The broiling heat has shattered records up and down the state this week, with Palm Springs reaching 124 degrees on Friday, breaking the all-time record of 123 degrees set in 2021, 1995 and 1993.
In Death Valley, the mercury soared to 127 degrees Friday — and Saturday it was expected to climb to 128 degrees, the weather service warned.
Extreme heat, low humidity and strong winds prompted officials to issue a red flag warning through the weekend along the 5 Freeway corridor and in the Antelope Valley foothills, Sirard said.
A man plays soccer against a wall in Venice Beach during a warm afternoon.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“Fires are dangerous anywhere,” he said, “but this is really a heightened danger. [Fires] will spread rapidly, explosively, and it’s extremely dangerous for firefighters.”
Hampered by scorching temperatures, firefighters were continuing to battle numerous wildfires across California on Saturday. The largest is the Basin fire in Fresno County, which started June 26. The fire, which has burned 14,027 acres, was 46% contained early Saturday.
Crews were beginning to get the upper hand on the French fire, which began on the Fourth of July and had threatened the town of Mariposa outside Yosemite National Park. The 908-acre fire, which temporarily triggered mandatory evacuations and closed State Route 140 leading into the park, was 25% contained.
In Southern California, a fire in Santa Barbara County had swelled to 4,673 acres on Saturday morning with zero containment, officials said. The Lake fire, burning near Zaca Lake in the Santa Ynez Valley, triggered an evacuation order early Saturday for an area north of Zaca Lake Road, east of Foxen Canyon Road and south of the Sisquoc River.
Temperatures in the 90s and very low humidity overnight fueled the fire’s spread, while a layer of warm air over the fire had trapped smoke close to the ground, Scott Safechuck, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, said in a post on the social media platform X.
Farther south, the Rancho fire, which was reported Friday evening, burned about 13 acres of brush along the 101 Freeway near Thousand Oaks.
Andy VanSciver, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, said in a video posted on X that the Rancho fire had been contained as of around 7 p.m. Friday. After stopping its forward progress, firefighters worked overnight to extinguish hot spots, he said.
Charlie Hammond, left, and Pierre Mordacq relax in Venice Beach during a warm afternoon Tuesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
In Riverside County, firefighters had managed to get control of the 70-acre Hills fire near Juniper Springs, with 75% containment as of Saturday afternoon.
Authorities had evacuated an area near where the fire broke out Friday afternoon at Juniper Flats Road and Mapes Road in Homeland. People affected by the evacuations were directed to Tahquitz High School in Hemet and the Riverside County Animal Shelter in San Jacinto.
Meanwhile, residents of Los Angeles County’s valleys and inland areas are urged to stay indoors during the day if possible and avoid hiking, even in areas that might seem cool at sea level.
“Even in the Santa Monica mountains, which are close to the coast, once you get above a certain elevation, 1,500 feet, it’s going to get very, very hot,” Sirard said.
Courson Park Pool lifeguard Ellie Gonzales, right, keeps an eye on swimmers as temperatures rose into the triple digits Wednesday in Palmdale.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Sirard said people should follow common-sense practices, like hydrating through the day and wearing lightweight and light-colored clothing. If you want to get some sun, head to the beaches, Sirard said, where temperatures should range from the low 70s to the low 80s.
“If people want to beat the heat this weekend,” he said, “the coast is the place to go.”
The city of Los Angeles has opened four cooling centers through the weekend where people can find relief from the heat:
Lake View Terrace Recreation Center, 11075 Foothill Blvd., Lake View Terrace Mid-Valley Senior Citizen Center, 8825 Kester Ave., Panorama City Fred Roberts Recreation Center, 4700 S. Honduras St., Los Angeles Jim Gilliam Recreation Center, 400 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles
Los Angeles County’s network of more than 150 cooling centers, which are located at libraries, parks and community centers, can be found here.
In the Bay Area, cool weather along the coast gave way to blistering heat in northern Sonoma and Napa counties, where temperatures were expected to climb to 110 degrees, said Nicole Sarment, a meteorologist for the weather service in San Francisco.
“There’s as much as a 50-degree variation, depending on where you are,” she said.
San Francisco was forecast to see a high of 79 degrees Saturday before dipping to 58 at night, she said. In Oakland, temperatures were expected to range from 59 to 87 degrees, while San Jose was predicted to see a low of 64 and high of 99.
TEXAS — With its unprecedented tear through the ultrawarm waters of the southeast Caribbean, Beryl turned meteorologists’ worst fears of a souped-up hurricane season into grim reality. Now it’s Texas turn.
Beryl hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane on Friday, then weakened to a tropical storm. It’s expected to reach southern Texas by Sunday night or Monday morning, regaining hurricane status as it crosses over the toasty Gulf of Mexico.
National Hurricane Center senior specialist Jack Beven said Beryl is likely to make landfall somewhere between Brownsville and a bit north of Corpus Christi Monday. The hurricane center forecasts it will hit as a strong Category 1 storm, but wrote “this could be conservative if Beryl stays over water longer” than expected.
The waters in the Gulf of Mexico are warm enough for the early-season storm to rapidly intensify, as it has several times before.
“We should not be surprised if this is rapidly intensifying before landfall and it could become a major hurricane,” said Weather Underground co-founder Jeff Masters, a former government hurricane meteorologist who flew into storms. “Category 2 may be more likely but we should not dismiss a Category 3 possibility.”
Beven said the official forecast has Beryl gaining 17 to 23 mph in wind speed in 24 hours, but noted the storm intensified more rapidly than forecasters expected earlier in the Caribbean.
“People in southern Texas now need to really keep an eye on the progress of Beryl,” Beven said.
Masters and University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said hurricane center forecasters have been very accurate in predicting Beryl’s track so far.
Already three times in its one-week life, Beryl has gained 35 mph in wind speed in 24 hours or less, the official weather service definition of rapid intensification.
The storm zipped from 35 mph to 75 mph on June 28. It went went from 80 mph to 115 mph in the overnight hours of June 29 into June 30 and on July 1 it went from 120 mph to 155 mph in just 15 hours, according to hurricane center records.
Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach, using a different tracking system, said he counted eight different periods when Beryl rapidly intensified – something that has only happened in the Atlantic in July two other times.
MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel doesn’t give Beryl “much of a chance for another 35 mph wind speed jump in the Gulf of Mexico, but said it’s a tricky thing to forecast.
Beryl’s explosive growth into an unprecedented early whopper of a storm shows the literal hot water the Atlantic and Caribbean are in right now and the figurative hot water the Atlantic hurricane belt can expect for the rest of the storm season, experts said.
The storm smashed various records even before its major hurricane-level winds approached the island of Carriacou in Grenada on Monday.
Beryl set the record for the earliest Category 4 with winds of at least 130 mph (209 kilometers per hour) – the first-ever category 4 in June. It also was the earliest storm to rapidly intensify with wind speeds jumping 63 mph (102 kph) in 24 hours, going from an unnamed depression to a Category 4 in 48 hours.
Colorado State University’s Klotzbach called Beryl a harbinger.
Forecasters predicted months ago it was going to be a nasty year and now they are comparing it to record busy 1933 and deadly 2005 – the year of Katrina, Rita, Wilma and Dennis.
“This is the type of storm that we expect this year, these outlier things that happen when and where they shouldn’t,” University of Miami’s McNoldy said. “Not only for things to form and intensify and reach higher intensities, but increase the likelihood of rapid intensification.”
Warm water acts as fuel for the thunderstorms and clouds that form hurricanes. The warmer the water and thus the air at the bottom of the storm, the better the chance it will rise higher in the atmosphere and create deeper thunderstorms, said the University at Albany’s Kristen Corbosiero.
“So when you get all that heat energy you can expect some fireworks,” Masters said.
Atlantic waters have been record warm since April 2023. Klotzbach said a high pressure system that normally sets up cooling trade winds collapsed then and hasn’t returned.
Corbosiero said scientists are debating what exactly climate change does to hurricanes, but have come to an agreement that it makes them more prone to rapidly intensifying, as Beryl did, and increase the strongest storms, like Beryl.
Emanuel said the slowdown of Atlantic ocean currents, likely caused by climate change, may also be a factor in the warm water.
A brewing La Nina, which is a slight cooling of the Pacific that changes weather worldwide, also may be a factor. Experts say La Nina tends to depress high altitude crosswinds that decapitate hurricanes.
Temperatures are expected to soar along the U.S. West Coast on Friday and Saturday, the National Weather Service said, warning that “dangerous heat” will likely spread up the West Coast as it intensifies.
Forecasters said temperatures will be 15-30 degrees above average for much of the West Coast Friday, and “numerous record-breaking temperatures can be expected through the next few days,” the weather service said.
Heat watches and warnings are in place across multiple states, including large swaths of California, as well as parts of Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington.
In parts of California and southern Oregon, temperatures could blast into the triple digits, the weather service said. California is expected to experience some of the worst effects of the heat wave on Saturday, forecasters said, with temperatures likely to reach into the 110s.
“Locally higher temperatures into the 120s are possible in the typical hot spots of the Desert Southwest,” the National Weather Service said.
In Los Angeles, the National Weather Service issued a “Red Flag Warning” in effect until late Friday night due to “hot, dry and windy conditions.” The warning signifies increased risk of fire danger. The weather service warned residents to use caution with open flames as the dry conditions could fuel the spread of fire.
The heat wave coincides with the Thompson wildfire, which engulfed Butte Country in Northern California this week and forced thousands to flee their homes. Evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings on Thursday.
Over the weekend, the excessive heat and humidity will shift east to the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast, with temperatures expected to break into the high 90s and low 100s.
The National Weather Service encouraged people to stay vigilant, noting that heat impacts can compound over time and pose a threat to health and safety. The above-average temperatures can be expected to last into next week, forecasters said.
“It is imperative to stay hydrated, out of direct sunlight, and in buildings with sufficient air-conditioning when possible,” said the weather service. “It is also equally as important to check on the safety of vulnerable friends, family, and neighbors.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said earlier this week that the state was taking steps to ensure the most vulnerable Californians had access to resources, including cooling centers.
A group of Disney California Adventure guests may not have had the most incredible time on Sunday after they needed to be rescued from an “Incredibles”-themed roller coaster amid sweltering heat.
Park employees wearing safety harnesses made their way to the stranded guests and handed them umbrellas before they were escorted down from the ride. Temperatures in Anaheim reached 86 degrees on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
A Disneyland spokesperson said the ride was stalled for about 30 minutes and park employees followed their standard procedures to help the guests safely exit the ride.
A park guest who was staying at a nearby hotel with his family and said he had a front-row view of the ride from his room told KNBC-TV that the ride also stalled on Saturday.
“I thought maybe the ride was closed,” Vince Crandon said. “I was really concerned for the heat and obviously for the people. … It was not moving and was on top of the apex.”
It’s unclear what prompted the ride to stall or how long riders were stranded, but several videos shared on TikTok show that this is not the first time riders were forced to descend the ride after mechanical issues. Previous videos show riders descend several flights of stairs while being escorted by park employees.
The Incredicoaster, previously known as California Screaming, opened in June 2018 and stands 120 feet tall and has a top speed of 55 mph, according to the ride description.
HOUSTON – It’s no secret that summers in Houston can get hot. Really hot.
Over the last week, we’ve seen temperatures climb into the 90s with feels like temps reaching well into the triple digits.
On Sunday, feels like temperatures, or the heat index, reached 114°F in some parts of the Houston area.
Heat indices as of 1pm are mostly between 103-110°F, with a couple places rising a few degrees above that. 🥵
The next few hours will be the hottest part of the day, so the heat indices may rise a couple of more degrees. The Heat Advisory is in effect through 7pm.#HOUwx#TXwxpic.twitter.com/Q2UVPSaFv5
With no end in sight, it’s more important now than ever to check on your neighbors and those who need it most.
Alongside Photojournalist Michael Lemons, KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding checked in with the most vulnerable in our community, offering ice cold drinking water to keep people without a home to go to cool and hydrated.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
The first day of summer was Thursday and, as if on cue, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for much of the Front Range.
The high on both Monday and Tuesday will be in the mid-to-upper 90s. And there’s not much relief after dark — overnight lows will be in the mid-to-upper 60s.
That’s much higher than typical for the long-term high-temperature averages for June, which are 89.9 in downtown Denver and 82 degrees statewide, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
The heat advisory also includes the cities of Arvada, Boulder, Golden, Lakewood and Longmont.
Denver is activating recreation centers as cooling centers Monday and Tuesday.
Where can people cool off in Denver?
Denver Parks and Recreation has spaces at each of its recreation centers where people can cool off during extreme heat events. The designated areas are staffed and offer drinking water, restrooms and a place to sit. Find your closest rec center here.
“The heat is dangerous and we want people to be safe,” said Emily Williams, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment. “It’s important for people to take care of their health when it is so hot.”
A “cooling station,” AKA the corner of the lobby, at the Carla Madison Recreation Center on Colfax Avenue. June 16, 2021.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Last summer was a much cooler summer in Denver than what’s anticipated this year.
“I think we only activated cooling centers twice, but we are anticipating a very warm summer this year,” Williams said. “I imagine this is not going to be our only activation this summer.”
People should know that even if a cooling center isn’t activated, she said a city facility is never going to turn somebody away who wants to get cool.
“The library is always a great place to go, or the rec center is a good place to go,” she said.
Why is heat dangerous to us?
Best advice from health experts: Be prepared and aware, and don’t underestimate risks from the heat.
“Extreme heat kills,” said Dr. Jay Lemery, an emergency medicine physician and co-director of the Climate and Health Program at CU Anschutz Medical Campus. “It’s a force multiplier for preexisting medical conditions like diabetes or COPD, asthma or coronary artery disease.”
When people with these preexisting conditions are stressing themselves in the extreme heat that can put them into crisis. When they come to the emergency room, they may have shortness of breath or chest pain but not symptoms of a classic heat stroke.
Heat can be “insidious” in the way it exacerbates chronic disease in a way both a patient and their provider might not expect, Lemery said.
Heat-related illnesses and deaths are largely preventable, according to the HEAT.gov website.
Individual health characteristics — like age, obesity, dehydration, heart disease, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use — can all play a role in your body’s ability to cool off during hot weather.
Some folks who are at the highest risk for heat-related illness include people 65 and older, children younger than two, and people with chronic diseases or mental illness.
Sweating is our natural reaction to heat, Lemery said. But it can also increase the negative effects of heat for high-risk people.
“It dehydrates you, it forces your heart rate to go up. These are all the ways that a body cools itself,” he said. “For those that are physiologically vulnerable … your heart rate goes up 10 or 20 beats.”
The renovated Congress Park pool. Aug. 2, 2022.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Perhaps you’re a heart patient on diuretics, medicines that help reduce the buildup of fluid in the body, so maybe you’re not as well hydrated as others.
“That can put you into crisis very quickly, where now your organs, your heart or your lungs are working much harder,” Lemery said. “And if you have those preexisting diseases, that can be enough to throw you into crisis where you’re thrown into congestive heart failure or asthma exacerbation, or you begin to have acute coronary syndrome, the prelude to a heart attack.”
It’s not just those with underlying health conditions who need to watch out for extreme heat, Lemery said.
“We do see young people that come into the emergency department who are otherwise world-class triathletes, and often the time with heat comes degraded air quality,” he said.
The pollution effects are even worse on extreme heat days.
“Bike riders will come in wheezing and they’ll be like, ‘Hey, I never knew I had asthma.’And the answer is, ‘You don’t have asthma, you have reactive airway disease from an extreme heat day,’” Lemery said.
Stay inside in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. Air conditioning is the number one way to protect yourself against heat-related illness. If your home is not air-conditioned, visit one of Denver’s cooling stations
Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink
Fans will not prevent heat-related illness in extreme heat, instead take cool showers or baths to cool down
Don’t use the stove or oven to cook—it will make you and your house hotter
Don’t drink alcohol or beverages that contain caffeine
Limit your outdoor activity, especially during the middle of the day when the sun is hottest
If you must be outside during the heat of the day, follow these tips:
Wear and frequently reapply sunscreen
Pace your activity and rest often
Pay attention to muscle cramping, which may be an early sign of heat-related illness. To combat cramping and heat-related illnesses, drink more water than usual
Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and a hat
Symptoms of heat-related illness can include:
Red or itchy skin
Muscle pain or cramps
Shallow breathing
Elevated body temperature
A weak but quick pulse
Nausea or vomiting and diarrhea
Dizziness or fainting
During periods of extreme heat, check on friends and neighbors to be sure they are safe and remember to never leave children unattended in a hot car.
And don’t forget the furry friends
Denver Animal Protection (DAP) reminds residents to never leave their pets alone in vehicles, DDPHE said in its release.
If you suspect an animal is suffering heatstroke:
Move the animal to shade or a cooler area
Cool the pet down with water or ice packs on the stomach only
Offer cool drinking water, but do not force-feed it
Don’t dunk the pet in water. This can hurt them even more when their temperature regulation is impaired.
Don’t cover, crate, or confine the animal
Even if your pet responds to cooling treatments, it’s critical your pet sees an emergency veterinarian to see if it has suffered irreversible damage
If you see a dog in a hot car, immediately call 311 or Denver Animal Protection at 720-913-2080. You should also familiarize yourself with the city’s Good Samaritan law which provides legal immunity to people who break a car window to save an animal.
However, to ensure immunity:
You must believe the animal is in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury
The vehicle must be locked
You must make a ‘reasonable effort’ to find the vehicle’s owner
You must contact the Denver Police Department, Denver Fire or DAP before entering the vehicle
You cannot use more force than necessary to free the animal
If you break a window, you must remain with the animal and on scene until police or DAP officers arrive
What can you do – the heat is raging but you want a cold cocktail – here are some of the best to keep you semi-hydrated
The temperatures are soaring, but it is still summer – time for beach trips, parties poolside and bbq. You want a cocktail, but you have to be careful about dehydration. Here are the best hydrating cocktails for a hot weekend. Alcohol will dehydrate you some – but here are some better choices. And try to drink a glass of water for every drink you have.
Coffee, tea and energy drinks are to be avoided. According to the Mayo Clinic, “As a chemical, caffeine increases production of urine, which means caffeine is a diuretic.” Which means the espresso martini is definitely a no no. Also, beer is consumed in larger volumes, which may give a false sense of hydration.
Vodka & Soda
The best, hydrating drink in the heat is a vodka with club soda and fruit. The minerals in the club soda are hydrating and vodka has fewer amounts of byproducts making it less likely to lead to major dehydration or a hangover.
Ingredients
Fill glass with ice
Add vodka and soda
Garnish and enjoy
Gin Negroni
Gin was the drink for the British in the heat of tropics. This refresh drink can also be a delight to your system. The grapefruit Negroni sticks with gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, but it tweaks the ratio, calling for more gin and less Campari. This adjustment yields a less bitter drink than the original.
Ingredients
2 peeled ruby red grapefruit segments (or 1ounce fresh ruby red grapefruit juice)
1 1/2ouncesgin
1ouncesweet vermouth
1/2ounceCampari
Garnish: long, wide swath of grapefruit peel
Create
Squeeze the grapefruit segments into a shaker and drop in the fruit (or add fresh juice)
Add the gin, sweet vermouth and Campari to the shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled
Place ice in a rocks glass and curl the grapefruit peel around the inside of the glass
Strain into the prepared glass
Pink Gin Spritz
The Gin & Tonic is the classic drink of the hot, humid, envoricemewnt. Originally made to hide the taste of quinine, the power was mined with soda and sugar, creating tonic water. And then they mixed it with gin. Here is a fun update for a hot day for you – something summer, fresh and a delight!
The cocktail hero at Churchill Downs during the heat, the Oaks Lily is a great replacement to the heavy mint julep. The juice is good for your system and the taste is easy without being too sweet.
Ingredients
1 ounce vodka
½ ounce orange liqueur
½ ounce simple syrup (See Notes)
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
3 ounces cranberry juice
Lemon wedges, for serving
Fresh blackberries, for serving
Create
Fill a Collins or highball glass with ice
Add vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup and cranberry juice
Stir to combine
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a fresh blackberry
Remember to be careful on your consumption and drink plenty of water. Have a great summer.
Heat waves don’t just make you sweat — they can also mess with your brain. It’s been established that hot weather can result in lower scores on math tests and higher rates of aggression, ranging from mean-spirited behavior to violent crime. A small but growing body of research suggests it can also influence how people talk.
How to Know If the Heat Is Making You Sick
Politicians tend to use shorter words in speeches when the temperature outside is 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, according to a study published in the journal iScience on Thursday. The analysis looked at 7 million speeches across eight countries — the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, and Germany — comparing them against the average temperature the day they were delivered. Cold days didn’t produce the same effect.
Understanding the consequences of heat on cognitive abilities is becoming particularly important as the climate warms, said Risto Conte Keivabu, a co-author of the study who researches climate change at the Max Planck Institute of Demographic Research in Germany.
On days hotter than 81 degrees F, the simpler language politicians used was equivalent to losing half a month of education. That result is likely an underestimate, Conte Keivabu said, since the study tried to “disentangle the impact of heat from all the possible confounding factors in the most conservative way possible.” Looking at just the data from Germany, researchers found the effect was comparable to a four-month reduction in education, he said. The speeches were measured using Flesch-Kincaid readability tests, which assess how difficult a text is to understand based on the length of the words and sentences.
The study found that adults over 57 years old were more sensitive to heat, based on the German data, with temperatures in the range of 70-75 degrees F linked with changes in their speech. Heat is especially dangerous for older adults, who have a harder time cooling down because of weaker blood circulation and deteriorating sweat glands.
Other studies support the idea that heat can tamper with our words — though more for the reason that it can worsen your mood. Hate speech tends to rise with the thermometer: The number of tweets in the U.S. using pejorative or discriminatory language jumped by up to 22 percent during extreme heat, according to a study from 2022. Researchers have observed a similar phenomenon on Chinese social media, with people using more negative language on very hot days.
Unlike social media posts, however, speeches are typically prepared in advance, which makes politicians’ shift to less complex language on hot days more surprising. The researchers posit that the psychological effects of heat could “influence a speaker to simplify speech or diverge from prepared remarks due to impaired cognitive function and comfort.”
So how is it that a heat wave outside can alter the quality of speech indoors? The study puts forward a few theories. Maybe even a short exposure to heat can cause problems, like waiting for a train during a commute or taking a break outside; or, conversely, uncomfortable temperatures outdoors might lead people to stay inside where the lack of fresh air could hinder their cognitive abilities. Another possibility is that people tend to sleep worse when they’re hot, which makes it harder to think straight the next day.
Using simpler language isn’t necessarily bad — in fact, it’s often easier to understand. But when someone uses less complex language over time, that can indicate cognitive decline, according to Conte Keivabu. “We don’t know if this leads towards outcomes when it comes to the decision-making of politicians or how effective they are in conveying their messages,” he said. Researchers have found that using more generic wording can be an early warning sign of dementia, a pattern detected in authors’ books and politicians’ speeches.
Heat isn’t the only environmental factor that might subtly be influencing us to say one thing instead of another. A study in 2019 found that exposure to air pollution similarly led to a reduction in the complexity of speeches by members of the Canadian parliament, the equivalent of losing nearly three months of education.
This article originally appeared in Grist. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org.
The year’s first significant heat wave is expected to roast a large portion of the central and southern United States on Father’s Day Sunday with potentially record-breaking high temperatures, four days away from summer’s official start.Related video above: Several hot days ahead in IowaThe National Weather Service warned people in the South and Midwest planning to celebrate dads outdoors on Sunday to stay cool amid a major heat risk, with high temperatures into the 90s in some areas.The intense heat wave won’t stop there. An expansive and exceptionally strong heat dome will build Sunday over the East and stretch into the Midwest and Great Lakes over the next few days, with the heat expected to persist through the week.Heat domes trap air in place and bake it with abundant sunshine for days on end, making each day hotter than the last.The final Sunday of spring will be a scorcher in the Plains and Midwest, where temperatures will reach the mid- to upper 90s, according to the Weather Prediction Center.People living across the Great Lakes region can expect temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s.Iowa and Missouri will be slammed with the worst of Sunday’s sweltering conditions, with large portions of both states facing a Level 3 – or major – risk of heat-related impacts.The National Weather Service office in St. Louis encouraged residents to take extra precautions Sunday for its hottest day of the year. “It will feel like 100-105 during the afternoon hours. We aren’t used to this kind of heat yet,” forecasters wrote on X, formerly Twitter.Sunday’s unrelenting heat will be felt across states including Kansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, according to the weather service.Some smaller pockets of Level 4 – or extreme – heat will be felt in a few locations, such as Atlanta, where Sunday afternoon temperatures could reach 102 degrees by the afternoon.Millions will face heat-related health risks as conditions reach extreme levels into this week, according to a scale from the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heat is the deadliest form of weather in the U.S., killing more than twice as many people each year on average as hurricanes and tornadoes combined.Persistent heat could break records this weekThe extreme temperatures and uncomfortable heat will seep into the larger cities of the Midwest and Northeast by the start of the workweek. On Monday, Chicago temperatures could hit 99 degrees with the heat index at 105 degrees, according to forecasters at Chicago’s weather service office.The high temperatures for the Upper Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions will soar into the mid- and upper 90s on Monday, with the possibility of tying or breaking numerous records, according to the Weather Prediction Center.The potential for record-shattering heat will last across the Ohio Valley and the Northeast through Friday, with some areas hitting heat indices of 105 degrees, the Weather Prediction Center said.A Level 3 heat risk is expected to affect large portions of states including Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio on Monday, according to the weather service. Meanwhile, much of the southern half of Iowa faces an extreme heat risk on Monday.Weather service forecasters in Des Moines, Iowa, warned of high heat and humidity through Tuesday as temperatures push into the 90s and heat index values hit near-triple digits.”Morning lows will be just as impressive, as temperatures remain in the mid- to even upper-70s,” the Weather Prediction Center said.”The combination of heat, humidity and little overnight relief will bring potentially widespread, significant heat-related impacts to anyone without adequate hydration or reliable cooling,” according to the center.In Detroit, where daytime temperatures are expected to hit the high 90s, the city’s urban core won’t see much relief after dark, where weather service forecasters say overnight lows will only dip to the 70s this week.The sweltering conditions will continue to shift into the eastern and northeastern US by Tuesday.CNN’s Elisa Raffa contributed to this report.
The year’s first significant heat wave is expected to roast a large portion of the central and southern United States on Father’s Day Sunday with potentially record-breaking high temperatures, four days away from summer’s official start.
Related video above: Several hot days ahead in Iowa
The National Weather Service warned people in the South and Midwest planning to celebrate dads outdoors on Sunday to stay cool amid a major heat risk, with high temperatures into the 90s in some areas.
The intense heat wave won’t stop there. An expansive and exceptionally strong heat dome will build Sunday over the East and stretch into the Midwest and Great Lakes over the next few days, with the heat expected to persist through the week.
Heat domes trap air in place and bake it with abundant sunshine for days on end, making each day hotter than the last.
The final Sunday of spring will be a scorcher in the Plains and Midwest, where temperatures will reach the mid- to upper 90s, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
People living across the Great Lakes region can expect temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s.
Iowa and Missouri will be slammed with the worst of Sunday’s sweltering conditions, with large portions of both states facing a Level 3 – or major – risk of heat-related impacts.
“It will feel like 100-105 during the afternoon hours. We aren’t used to this kind of heat yet,” forecasters wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Sunday’s unrelenting heat will be felt across states including Kansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, according to the weather service.
Some smaller pockets of Level 4 – or extreme – heat will be felt in a few locations, such as Atlanta, where Sunday afternoon temperatures could reach 102 degrees by the afternoon.
Millions will face heat-related health risks as conditions reach extreme levels into this week, according to a scale from the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Heat is the deadliest form of weather in the U.S., killing more than twice as many people each year on average as hurricanes and tornadoes combined.
Persistent heat could break records this week
The extreme temperatures and uncomfortable heat will seep into the larger cities of the Midwest and Northeast by the start of the workweek. On Monday, Chicago temperatures could hit 99 degrees with the heat index at 105 degrees, according to forecasters at Chicago’s weather service office.
The high temperatures for the Upper Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions will soar into the mid- and upper 90s on Monday, with the possibility of tying or breaking numerous records, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
The potential for record-shattering heat will last across the Ohio Valley and the Northeast through Friday, with some areas hitting heat indices of 105 degrees, the Weather Prediction Center said.
A Level 3 heat risk is expected to affect large portions of states including Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio on Monday, according to the weather service. Meanwhile, much of the southern half of Iowa faces an extreme heat risk on Monday.
Weather service forecasters in Des Moines, Iowa, warned of high heat and humidity through Tuesday as temperatures push into the 90s and heat index values hit near-triple digits.
“Morning lows will be just as impressive, as temperatures remain in the mid- to even upper-70s,” the Weather Prediction Center said.
“The combination of heat, humidity and little overnight relief will bring potentially widespread, significant heat-related impacts to anyone without adequate hydration or reliable cooling,” according to the center.
In Detroit, where daytime temperatures are expected to hit the high 90s, the city’s urban core won’t see much relief after dark, where weather service forecasters say overnight lows will only dip to the 70s this week.
The sweltering conditions will continue to shift into the eastern and northeastern US by Tuesday.
How are we halfway through June already? It actually seems illegal how fast the summer passes by, there’s so much I want to accomplish in no time whatsoever. But enough about me, the main point here is that we’re looking at the weekend once again.
Whether this was the best or worst week of your life, there’s one thing we can all agree on: music will help any situation. Yes, there’s a song out there that will make you forget about everything else in life while it’s playing…you just have to find it.
And you may be wondering: yeah, but why do you care? Well, dear reader, you’ve actually stumbled upon the place for new music released today. Every Friday, hundreds of new songs are released…and sure, you can comb through every New Music Friday playlist curated on your Spotify or Apple Music. But wouldn’t it be easier if one place made a playlist with the best-of-the-best on it?
Yes. It would. And that’s why we’re all here: I make a weekly playlist with the best new songs released so you don’t have to do all that aimless searching and listening on your own. It’s okay to be lazy when you’re listening to my Weekend Playlists!
This week, we have a bunch of fresh new tracks that can easily get you through the weekend. Without further ado, let’s get listening!
R3HAB, Don Diablo, NEEKA- “Disco Marathon”
Welcome back to the 70’s…because it’s a disco summer! The EDM/house world is fully leaning into the club disco track, which is why R3HAB, Don Diablo, and NEEKA teamed up for “Disco Marathon.” If you want a feel good track that gets you and your friends dancing, this is a great start to your playlist.
“Disco Marathon” is captivating from the very start- a sonic shift for both R3HAB and Don Diablo that blends their sounds perfectly.
Ashton Irwin- “Straight To Your Heart”
We recently got the chance to sit down with Ashton ahead of his sophomore solo album release, Blood on the Drums. After speaking a bit about “Straight To Your Heart” I learned that Ashton was really inspired by the bands of the 80’s who leaned heavily into synths. Now, as he releases the first part of Blood on the Drums, “Straight To Your Heart” is here for the world.
It’s a testament to his prowess as a songwriter and singer, a multi-instrumentalist who has years’ experience under his belt. “Straight To Your Heart” is pure fun all the way through.
Jelly Roll- “I Am Not Okay”
Just in time for Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, Jelly Roll releases “I Am Not Okay”- an introspective track about needing help but not wanting to talk about it. With lyrics like “I woke up today/I almost stayed in bed/Had the devil on my back”, it’s a prevalent reminder that although we all have our dark moments, have have to keep going.
Jelly Roll has been a longtime advocate for mental health awareness through his music, and his mission continues by spreading the word in “I Am Not Okay.”
Benjamin Ingrosso- “Look Who’s Laughing Now”
Benjamin Ingrosso’s vocal ability shines through in his new single, “Look Who’s Laughing Now.” The song almost was made for live performances, with big sounds building to a crescendo throughout the entire song. It’s an easy listen, both uplifting and confident all in one. Ingrosso says,
“Look who’s laughing now is about announcing to yourself and the world you can be whoever you want to be in all of your imperfections and still have the best time of your life and come out winning.”
Tove Lo, SG Lewis- “HEAT”
What makes a collaboration successful is the ability for both artists to blend their sounds in a way that makes sense, that makes people want to hear more from them. It doesn’t work every time, but with Tove Lo and SG Lewis, the four tracks that make their EP, HEAT, it works tremendously. The energy is palpable throughout each and every song, and you never want it to end.
The four tracks- title track “HEAT”, “Let me go OH OH”, “Busy Girl”, and “Desire”- are equally exciting across the board. They find a way to combine sex appeal with synths and bass, and then you add in Tove Lo’s crooning vocals and you have yourself a hit collection of songs.
It is HOT outside, and we are talking record breaking, miserable, change shirts several times a day hot. Those who are suffering the most are the Desert Southwest, California’s Central Valley, and western and southern Texas. Some of the new records – Death Valley (122); Needles, Calif. (115); Phoenix (113); Las Vegas (111); Fresno, Calif. (107); Amarillo, Tex. (102); Sacramento (101); Kanab, Utah (101); Reno, Nev. (98); and Flagstaff, Ariz. (91). Part of the issue is there is a huge heat dome over the air, trapping hot air for days (and nights). Even with air-conditions, it is tough, but can cannabis cool your heat dome misery.
High tempertures play havoc with your body. Extended hot weather days can cause poor sleep, lack of appetite, hot or damp skin, headaches, loss of motivation, irritability and more. Staying cool and keeping your body at a reasonable temperature of 97° – 99° is critical as it cause dangerous complications like dehydration, heat stroke and more.
Cannabis is one thing in box of tools to keep your body at a normal temperature. It can does reduce your body temperature—temporarily. Several studies indicate marijuana can, reduce the body temperature short term. Food like spicy mustard, chili flakes and wasabi can also provide quick relief. The cannabis cool effect is thought to happen because of the way THC interacts with a receptor called TRPA-1. This receptor controls important functions, including pain relief and body temperature.
Not all weed is created equal when it comes to body chilling phenomenon. According to some consumers, switching to tinctures and edibles rather bongs, pre-rolls, or other methods involving heating the product helps move to a cooling response quicker.
You can also replace drinking alcohol at home with cannabis beverages. Consuming this way is refreshing and as potent without dehydrating your body.
Cannabis is popular as a non addictive sleep aid. In hot weather, some struggle with both falling and staying asleep. The sleep-promoting effects of cannabinoids are due to their interactions with cannabinoid receptors in the brain. When cannabinoids bind to these receptors, they send messages to increase levels of sleep-promoting adenosine and suppress the brain’s arousal system. Together, these effects may help cannabis users feel sedated or sleepy.
Three years ago, police investigated Tyler Cestia for negligent homicide after he left his 2-and-a-half-year-old son, Thomas, in his truck at work on a hot summer day.
“In my mind, I remember thinking, ‘well, I don’t remember walking in the sitter’s house to drop Thomas off; I don’t remember that,’” said Cestia. “I just said to myself, ‘it can’t be. There’s no way.’”
Cestia said a confluence of circumstances created the perfect storm that June morning. He wasn’t originally supposed to drop off Thomas, and the toddler sat in his brother’s car seat behind the driver — out of sight. Cestia said he was also recovering from COVID, which gave him brain fog, and his mind was preoccupied with an audit at work. Six hours into his workday, he realized he never dropped off his son that morning.
“I ran out to the car to see and, unfortunately, my worst fears were realized,” he said.
His wife Pamela got the call and frantically raced to the office parking lot.
“I kind of didn’t know how fast children could pass in the car,” Pamela said. “So, I drove like a maniac to Tyler’s work and then just saw Thomas, and he was gone. I just broke down after seeing and knowing what happened.”
It was a moment she had trouble processing — a moment she said she couldn’t imagine ever happening to her family.
“I think before this experience, I was a little judgmental on that and thinking that how do people leave their kids in the car and forget their children,” said Pamela. “I think, now, that anybody can leave their kids in the car and forget them. It can be, something else on your mind at the time, a change in routine, that it can happen to anybody.”
Police ruled the death an accident.
Summer heat turns deadly
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warns much of the U.S. will see above-average temperatures and dangerous heat this summer. For some children, it has already become deadly.
Last month in South Carolina, a 3-year-old became the first hot car death of the year, after he crawled into the back of a vehicle and got trapped.
A few weeks later in West Virginia, a 3-month-old baby died inside a car after police said it appeared the child was inadvertently left there while the parent was at work.
According to data from advocacy group Kids and Car Safety, on average, 38 children die each year from heatstroke inside a vehicle. Over the last three decades, more than 1,000 children have died in these incidents.
A CBS News data analysis shows 83% of all hot car deaths over the last six years happened between May and September — at least one death each week during the sweltering summer season. It’s not just happening in states with the warmest temperatures. The breakdown reveals a hot car death reported in nearly every state.
“Quite frankly, we’re surprised it doesn’t even happen more often,” said Janette Fennell, co-founder and president of Kids and Car Safety.
Fennell said after the introduction of dual front airbags, parents moved infant car seats to back seats for safety reasons. It was then, she explained, that they began to see the increasing trend of parents forgetting their children in vehicles.
“During that transition, nothing was done to change the way we notify people if children are left alone in vehicles,” she said. “So, it’s a direct correlation of putting the kids in the back seat out of sight, out of mind, and then the number of hot car deaths just keeps going up.”
Over the last few years, companies have created technological advances to help reduce the chances of children being left in cars and dying. Automakers have been working on safety systems that can provide alerts to remind drivers to check for children who may still be in vehicles, or even detect a child left behind.
“We’ve seen a tremendous amount of innovation just in the last few years, following a commitment by automakers in 2019, to integrate these technologies into all new vehicles,” said Hilary Cain, with the auto industry trade group Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
The 2021 infrastructure law included a requirement for all automakers to install an audio and visual rear seat reminder alert in all new passenger vehicles beginning with model year 2025. Most have already done this — voluntarily.
Fennell argues law and the technology don’t go far enough.
“What’s written in the law is sort of just the driver reminder system,” she said. “We’ve been working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and they know that that’s not really an adequate solution. In fact, we as an organization have documented deaths of six children who have died in cars that have just that reminder, so obviously it’s not effective.”
The Cestias had that very technology in their truck when Thomas died.
“The way we thought all along how the technology worked in the truck was based on weight,” said Tyler Cestia. “You know, you have a child in the seat, [from] the weight.”
While some vehicles do have weight sensors, the Cestias’ truck used door logic technology that only warns the driver to check the back seat at the end of a trip if a back door has been opened and closed at the beginning of a trip. Tyler described the alert as the same as the beep that reminds you to put on your seatbelt.
“We had a false sense of security with the rear seat reminder,” said Pamela Cestia.
NHTSA provided written responses to questions from CBS News, which said: “NHTSA is researching technology and solutions that can provide greater safety benefits beyond the mandated minimum, including detection technology for unattended occupants.”
Radar technology
The Cestias are advocating for the administration to require more advanced technology like radar systems that don’t simply issue reminder alerts but detect movement. They can even sense the breathing of a baby.
“So, the difference between this and a typical rear alert reminder… is that this actually detects the presence of life,” explained Tyler Warga, with automotive technology supplier Bosch. “It’s actually doing the displacement in a child’s chest, and so you’re talking millimeters in terms of the type of movement it can detect.”
Some of Hyundai’s Genesis models offer what it calls an advanced rear occupant alert system, which utilizes both a rear seat alert and radar technology. It also sends out warnings to parents even when they’re not in the vehicle.
“If the sensor detects movement within the vehicle, you’re going to have the horn go off and you’re also going to get an alert on your smart app,” said Stephanie Beeman, manager of vehicle safety, compliance and regulatory affairs for Hyundai America Technical Center.
We asked the Alliance for Automotive Innovation why it isn’t committing to the radar technology some experts consider the gold standard for safety.
“The automakers want to provide technologies that best meet the needs of their customers, and so there are a range of options for them to do that, and radar technologies would be one of those options,” Hilary Cain said. “There are a lot of people who purchase vehicles today that do not have children and may not need or want these systems. Since these systems will be standard on all vehicles, there will be a cost, you know, and reflected in the price of the vehicle for the technologies. So, providing a range of technologies may give purchasers who are not interested in the technology, don’t need the technology, a lower price point than otherwise they would have.”
According to government documents, the upgrade to radar would cost car buyers as little as $20.
“The companies are going to go this way,” Cain said. “They’re already going that way. We’re just – you got to give it time for them to do it.”
But Pamela and Tyler Cestia believe if the radar technology had been in their truck three years ago, Thomas would still be alive.
“The gold standard should be met,” said Tyler Cestia. “There’s better technology that’s far superior to the existing technology, and there’s no reason for another parent to go through it.”
Laura Geller is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist. She joined the CBS News and Stations Innovation Lab as a national investigative producer in September of 2023.
Now, we normally see warmer and hot weather in the Houston area but if you’re like me, you’re questioning how in the heck it’s so HOT and it’s only MAY!
Not only that, but the storm that blew through also took many people’s power and electricity with it.
This means hundreds of thousands of people in the Greater Houston region are left to figure out life-threatening situations like how to pay for groceries and how to stay cool during this blistering heat.
Back in 2023, there were six deaths and more than 1,400 heat-related illnesses reported, all before August, according to the Houston Health Department.
Last year, we spoke with the Chief Medical Officer of the City of Houston, Dr. David Persse, to discuss how to keep heat-related illnesses at bay.
What are your top heat safety suggestions that our viewers need to remember?
Drink more water. Drink lots of liquids even before getting thirsty, but avoid those with caffeine, alcohol or large amounts of sugar because these can result in the loss of body fluid. Water is your best bet.
Conduct outdoor work or exercise in the early morning or evening when it is cooler. Outdoor workers should drink plenty of water or electrolyte replacement beverages and take frequent breaks in the shade or in an air-conditioned facility. Those unaccustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment need to start slowly and gradually increase heat exposure over several weeks.
Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that permits the evaporation of perspiration.
Do not leave children, senior citizens or pets unattended in a vehicle.
Use a wide-brimmed hat to help prevent sunburn as well as heat-related illness. Sunscreen also protects from the sun’s harmful rays and reduces the risk of sunburn.
Seek air-conditioned facilities during the heat of the day if a home is not air-conditioned: multi-service centers, malls, movie theaters, libraries, etc.
Take frequent cool baths or showers if your home is not air-conditioned.
Stay alert to heat advisories. The National Weather Service declares a Heat Emergency when the heat index, a computation of the air temperature and humidity, reaches 108 degrees on two or more consecutive days. A heat index of 108 is a potential health threat for all people and is particularly dangerous for high-risk groups.
Where can people lacking air conditioning in their homes find refuge from the heat?
The City of Houston has released a list of locations for people without air conditioning to seek relief while power is being restored.
People who need transportation to a cooling center can contact 3-1-1 and request a free ride.
Which heat-related illnesses put people at risk of losing their lives?
Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt contained in sweat. Signs include profuse sweating, paleness, muscle cramps weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, a weak-but-rapid pulse, and fainting. The skin may be cool and moist.
The danger begins with heat exhaustion which, if left untreated, may progress to heat stroke.
Heat stroke occurs when the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the perspiration system fails and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.
Heat stroke symptoms include an extremely high body temperature (above 103°F, orally), red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating), rapid and strong pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion and unconsciousness.
Why are the elderly particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses?
High body temperatures can lead to damage to the brain or other vital organs and even death. The problem is that it takes the elderly twice as long as a young person to return to core body temperatures after being exposed to extremely high temperatures. That’s why it is important for all of us to take the initiative to check on elderly relatives, friends, and neighbors to check if they are not suffering due to the sweltering heat.
Other vulnerable people are children under the age of 4, people with chronic illnesses or who are either overweight or on certain medications should stay inside air-conditioned buildings between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., the hottest part of the day.
An extreme summer marked by deadly heat waves, explosive wildfires and record-warm ocean temperatures will go down as among the hottest in the last 2,000 years, new research has found.
The summer of 2023 saw the temperature in the Northern Hemisphere soar 3.72 degrees above the average from 1850 to 1900, when modern instrumental recordkeeping began, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature. The study focused on surface air temperatures across the extra-tropical region, which sits at 30-90 degrees north latitude and includes most of Europe and North America.
June, July and August last year were also 3.96 degrees warmer than the average from the years 1 through 1890, which the researchers calculated by combining observed records with tree ring records from nine global regions.
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Jan Esper, the study’s lead author and a professor of climate geography at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany, said that he was not expecting summer last year to be quite so anomalous, but that he was ultimately not surprised by the findings. The high temperatures built on an overall warming trend driven by greenhouse gas emissions and were further amplified by the onset of El Niño in the tropical Pacific.
“It’s no surprise — this really, really outstanding 2023 — but it was also, step-wise, a continuation of a trend that will continue,” Esper told reporters Monday. “Personally I’m not surprised, but I am worried.”
He said it was important to place 2023’s temperature extreme in a long-term context. The difference between the region’s previous warmest summer, in the year 246, and the summer of 2023 is 2.14 degrees, the study found.
The heat is even more extreme when compared with the region’s coldest summers — the majority of which were influenced by volcanic eruptions that spewed heat-blocking sulfur into the stratosphere. According to the study, 2023’s summer was 7.07 degrees warmer than the coldest reconstructed summer from this period, in the year 536.
“Although 2023 is consistent with a greenhouse gases-induced warming trend that is amplified by an unfolding El Niño event, this extreme emphasizes the urgency to implement international agreements for carbon emission reduction,” the study says.
The sweltering summer temperatures contributed to scores of heat illnesses and deaths, including at least 645 heat-associated deaths in Maricopa County, Ariz., where Phoenix saw temperatures of 110 degrees or hotter for a record 31 consecutive days.
Wildfires exacerbated by high temperatures raged across Canada and sent hazardous smoke down the East Coast of the United States and across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, ocean temperatures off the coast of Florida soared above 101 degrees, the temperature of a hot tub.
Multiple climate agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, declared 2023 the hottest year on record globally.
Notably, Copernicus found that the summer months of June, July and August last year measured 1.18 degrees warmer than average — still hot, but not nearly as warm as the study’s findings for the Northern Hemisphere’s extra-tropical region.
That region was especially hot in part because it is home to so much land, which warms faster than oceans, said Karen McKinnon, an assistant professor of statistics and the environment at UCLA who did not work on the study. (June, July and August are also winter months in the Southern Hemisphere.)
McKinnon said the study’s findings are not unexpected, as there was already good evidence that the summer of 2023 was record-breaking when compared with measurable data going back to the mid-1800s. But by going back 2,000 years, the researchers also helped illuminate “the full range of natural variability that could have occurred in the past,” she said.
She noted that tree rings can serve as a helpful proxy for climate conditions in the past, as trees tend to grow more in a given year if they receive the right amount of warmth, water and sunshine.
But although last year’s heat was undeniable, the study also underscores that the summer temperature in this region was notably higher than the global target of 2.7 degrees — or 1.5 degrees Celsius — of warming over the preindustrial period, which was established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2015.
It also notes that some recent research has found the data used to calculate that baseline may be off by several tenths of a degree, meaning it could need to be recalibrated, with the target landing closer to an even more challenging 1.6 or 1.7 degrees.
“I don’t think we should use the proxy instead of the instrumental data, but there’s a good indication that there’s a warm bias,” Esper said. “Further research is needed.”
McKinnon said there is always going to be some degree of uncertainty when comparing present-day temperatures to past temperatures, but that the 1.5-degree limit is as symbolic as it is literal. Many effects of climate change, including worsening heat waves, have already begun.
“There are definitely tipping points in the climate system, but we don’t understand the climate system well enough to say 1.5 C is the temperature for certain tipping points,” she said. “This is just a policy goal that gives you a temperature change that maybe would be consistent with averting some damages.”
In fact, the study’s publication comes days after a survey of 380 leading scientists from the IPCC revealed deep concerns about the world’s ability to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. That report, published last week in the Guardian, found that only 6% of surveyed scientists think the 1.5-degree limit will be met. Nearly 80% said they foresee at least 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming.
The report caused a stir among the scientific community, with some saying it focused too heavily on pessimism and despair. But Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA who participated in the survey, said its findings are worthy of consideration.
“There are many kinds of scientists, myself included, who are very worried and concerned and increasingly alarmed by what is going on and what the data is showing,” Swain said during a briefing Friday. “But if anything, I think that really results in a stronger sense of resolve and urgency to do even more, and to do better.”
Indeed, while scientists continue to weigh in on whether — or how quickly — humanity can alter the planet’s worsening warming trajectory, Esper said he hopes the latest study will serve as motivation for changing outdated modes of energy consumption that contribute to planet-warming greenhouse gases.
“I am concerned about global warming — I think it’s one of the biggest threats out there,” he said.
He added that he is particularly worried for his children and for younger generations who will bear the brunt of worsening heat and other adverse climate outcomes. There is a strong likelihood that the summer of 2024 will be even hotter, the study says.
“The longer we wait, the more extensive it will be, and the more difficult it will be to mitigate or even stop that process and reverse it,” Esper said. “It’s just so obvious: We should do as much as possible, as soon as possible.”
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IMPACT DAY: Two rounds of strong storms expected this afternoon and evening
Wind and hail will be the biggest concerns
Updated: 5:45 AM EDT May 10, 2024
THAT’S GOING TO IMPACT US ALL TODAY. KELLIANNE THIS WEATHER, THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS ARE THEY GOING TO BE FAST MOVING? I REALLY THINK IT DEPENDS. GOING INTO THE LATE MORNING HOURS. NO, BUT ONCE IT STARTS TO KIND OF PICK UP SOME STEAM, IT WILL EVENTUALLY PUSH THROUGH. I THINK ONE THING THAT WE’RE REALLY GOING TO BE WATCHING IS FOR JUST A COUPLE OF ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE FIRST ROUND, ARRIVING LATE MORNING, EARLY AFTERNOON, AND THEN ANOTHER ROUND LATE TONIGHT, WHICH THAT 1ST MAY NOT BE ON THE STRONG AND SEVERE SIDE. SO WE TALK ABOUT A SEVERE WEATHER RISK FOR TODAY. IT’S GOING TO BE MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS. WE HAVE A LOT OF HEAT. WE HAVE A LOT OF HUMIDITY COUPLED WITH A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THAT WILL BRING US THOSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT REALLY TURN STRONG AND SEVERE. I THINK MUCH OF CENTRAL FLORIDA WILL BE UNDER SOME SORT OF SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IF YOU’RE IN KISSIMMEE. UH, COCOA BEACH, MERRITT ISLAND, EVEN AREAS UP NORTH, YOU ARE IN A LEVEL ONE OUT OF FIVE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT, INCLUDING PARTS OF SEMINOLE COUNTY. BUT AREAS NORTH OF SEMINOLE COUNTY, A LEVEL TWO OUT OF FIVE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. NOW, KEEP IN MIND IF YOU ARE TRAVELING, LET’S SAY TO JACKSONVILLE, EVEN LAKE CITY THIS MORNING, ESPECIALLY LATE MORNING, EARLY AFTERNOON, YOU’RE LOOKING AT A LEVEL THREE OUT OF FIVE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT, MEANING NUMEROUS STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. IT’S ALL THANKS TO THIS AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WORKING THROUGH ALABAMA RIGHT NOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT. AND THAT IS RACING TOWARDS NORTH FLORIDA. SO WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS MORNING IS TO GET THE KIDS READY FOR SCHOOL. WE’RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT RAINFALL, BUT WHEN YOU PICK THEM UP, WE MAY BE WATCHING SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION. SO LET’S TIME IT OUT HOUR BY HOUR. 11:00. WE’RE LOOKING AT A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WORKING INTO PARTS OF MARION COUNTY, FLAGLER COUNTY THAT THEN PUSHES OFF THE COASTLINE AROUND NOON. WE’LL GET ANOTHER BREAK IN THAT RAINFALL AROUND 130 AND TWO. HERE, THOUGH, COMES A SECOND LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AROUND THREE, FOUR AND FIVE LEADING TO SCATTERED RAINFALL AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. 6:00 COUPLE OF SHOWERS ALONG I 95 IN BREVARD COUNTY. WE’LL START TO DRY OUT GOING INTO THE LATE NIGHT HOURS, BUT THEN OVERNIGHT. THIS IS WHEN FUTURECAST PICKS UP ON MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARRIVING. WILL THESE BE SEVERE? I DON’T THINK WE’RE GOING TO BE TOO CONCERNED ABOUT A SEVERE WEATHER THREAT OVERNIGHT. MAYBE 1 OR 2 BRINGING SOME GUSTY WINDS, BUT THE BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL ARRIVE LATE MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THEN BY THE TIME YOU WAKE UP ON SATURDAY, WE’RE COMPLETELY DRY AND QUIET. SO WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW RIGHT NOW IS THAT FROM ABOUT 10:00 THIS MORNING IN OUR NORTHERN LOCATIONS, ALL THE WAY UNTIL 6:00 THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR 1 OR 2 ISOLATED, STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS, WIND AND HAIL BEING THE BIGGEST CONCERN. I WILL BE WATCHING ALSO THE POTENTIAL OF TORNADOES, THOUGH THAT IS NOT A HUGE CONCERN FOR THIS AFTERNOON. THEN THIS WEEKEND WE’RE SUNNY, DRY, BUT WARM TEMPERATURES IN TH
IMPACT DAY: Two rounds of strong storms expected this afternoon and evening
Wind and hail will be the biggest concerns
Updated: 5:45 AM EDT May 10, 2024
Today will be an Impact Day for strong/severe storms this afternoon. There will be two waves of storms. The first arriving this afternoon/evening. Another round is possible late tonight. Showers & storms will push into our northern locations after 10a and slowly work south throughout the day. Our northern locations have the best possibility to see scattered strong/severe storms while areas between Orlando and Marion/Flagler will have an isolated severe weather threat. Wind and hail will be the biggest concerns with anything that turns severe. An isolated tornado or two cannot be ruled out. The second round of showers & storms may not be strong enough to produce severe storms, however, that is something we will watch.Rain and storms clear out by sunrise tomorrow leading to a sunny and dry day ahead. This Mother’s Day weekend will be sunny, dry, and warm. Highs reach the lower 90s.Our pattern turns active next week as showers & storms are back in the forecast.
Today will be an Impact Day for strong/severe storms this afternoon. There will be two waves of storms. The first arriving this afternoon/evening. Another round is possible late tonight. Showers & storms will push into our northern locations after 10a and slowly work south throughout the day. Our northern locations have the best possibility to see scattered strong/severe storms while areas between Orlando and Marion/Flagler will have an isolated severe weather threat. Wind and hail will be the biggest concerns with anything that turns severe. An isolated tornado or two cannot be ruled out. The second round of showers & storms may not be strong enough to produce severe storms, however, that is something we will watch.
Rain and storms clear out by sunrise tomorrow leading to a sunny and dry day ahead. This Mother’s Day weekend will be sunny, dry, and warm. Highs reach the lower 90s.
Our pattern turns active next week as showers & storms are back in the forecast.
