As extreme heat grips the South and West, here's how to stay safe
The U.S. is experiencing a series of intense heat domes, leading to record-breaking temperatures across the South and West. Meteorologists attribute the severity of these heat waves to a combination of high-pressure systems and the cyclical El Niño climate pattern.
Why it matters
Extreme heat events pose significant public health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations lacking adequate cooling infrastructure.
The U.S. is sweating out its third major heat dome in a month, with some 70 million people affected in an area stretching from roughly New Mexico to North Carolina, covering much of the South and part of the Midwest. This latest extreme weather is again raising the risk of heat-related illness, particularly for millions of people in the affected region who lack easy access to air conditioning.
Daytime temperatures are reaching the 100s in many places, with the "feels like" temperature or heat index — which factors in humidity — even higher.
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