How to understand this heat wave (as told by NPR's senior climate editor)
As extreme heat waves impact millions across the U.S., climate experts are emphasizing the direct link between these events and climate change. The article provides context on why nighttime temperatures are failing to cool, increasing health risks for the public.
Why it matters
Understanding the connection between climate change and extreme weather is essential for public health preparedness and policy adaptation.
More than 80 million people are under an Extreme Heat Warning or Heat Advisory through this week, according to the National Weather Service . Forecasters at the service's Weather Prediction Center called this latest heat dome a "steamy air-mass even by mid-to-late August standards."
Dangerous record-breaking heat will continue across the South-Central U.S. and expand into the Southwest by mid-week, bringing daytime temperatures into the triple digits . Much of the desert Southwest, including parts of Arizona and New Mexico, could also break heat records, according to the National Weather Service .
Weather The days are hot, but so are the nights. That's a problem, experts say As the senior climate editor at NPR, I often send out guidance to the NPR newsroom during extreme weather to help other editors and reporters understand the role of climate change.
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