Extreme heat on Independence Day will be America's new normal, experts say
Extreme heat waves across the U.S. during the July 4th holiday resulted in multiple deaths and emergency room visits. Experts warn that climate change is making such heat events more frequent and severe, labeling them a 'new normal' for the country.
Why it matters
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events poses significant public health risks and challenges for infrastructure and emergency management.
When Thomas Jefferson measured the temperature on July 4, 1776, the high was 76 degrees Fahrenheit in Philadelphia. Two hundred and fifty years later, millions of people across the eastern half of the U.S. were under extreme heat warnings as they celebrated that anniversary.
The article reports on scientific consensus regarding climate change and provides factual data on health impacts without inflammatory language.
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