Heat waves kill more people than any other type of severe weather in the U.S. And climate change is making them more frequent and unpredictable.
In June a massive “heat dome” smothered the famously temperate Pacific Northwest, subjecting parts of Washington State, Oregon and western Canada to blistering and unprecedented temperatures. Lytton, British Columbia, set an all-time Canadian record with a searing 121.3 degrees Fahrenheit . A day later most of that village was destroyed by a huge wildfire.
These heat waves pose a major risk to public health. “In an average year in the U.S., heat kills more people than any other type of extreme weather,” says Kristina Dahl, a senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Hundreds of people died in the recent Pacific Northwest heat wave, according to estimates: there were at least 486 deaths in British Columbia, 116 in Oregon and 78 in Washington . A recent U.S.
People can eventually acclimatize to some level of heat. If you live in a hot climate or work in hot conditions for a period of weeks or months, your body becomes more efficient at sweating and cooling itself down, Smith says. This process takes time, however. When severe heat hits places where most people are unaccustomed to it, such as the Pacific Northwest, it can be especially deadly.
Athletes are also at increased risk because their body produces excess heat from muscle activity. In 2001 National Football League player Korey Stringer died from heat stroke during training in Minnesota. The institute that bears his name now studies ways to prevent heat-related illness and death among athletes, members of the military and physical laborers.
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