Today, New Orleans will reach 113 degrees in the heat index. Houston will reach 111. Mobile, Ala., and Jackson, Miss., will also surpass 110. And those are only a few of the places that will experience dangerous heat this week.
Summer technically just began, and parts of the U.S. are already seeing the unusual heat that experts warned about and that is becoming more common as a result of climate change. About 45 million people — or 14 percent of the U.S. population — live in areas that are expected to reach dangerous temperatures in the coming days.
Today and tomorrow, the heat will be concentrated in Texas, Louisiana and parts of the South. By the end of the week, it is expected to spread in the South and to the West, as these maps show:
The heat index measures not just temperature, but how hot it really feels outside by taking into account humidity as well. (Heat index forecasts are typically accurate for the next day, but become less reliable as they project further into the future.) If you’re in any of these major cities, here’s what you can expect:
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In Houston, the index is forecast to peak at 111 degrees this week before falling to 106 by Sunday.
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In New Orleans, the heat index will hit 111 degrees today, climb to 115 by Thursday and remain above 110 for the week.
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Jacksonville, Fla., will peak at 106 degrees today on the index and gradually climb until it hits 109 this weekend.
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In Bakersfield, Calif., the heat index will climb above 100 on Friday.
When the index measures anywhere from 103 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, experts label it as dangerous heat. Such temperatures carry a higher risk for cramps and exhaustion as well as heat stroke, particularly after exercise or long stretches in the sun.
The heat has already resulted in tragedies. On Saturday, a 14-year-old hiker fell ill and died at Big Bend National Park in Texas as temperatures reached 119 degrees Fahrenheit. His 31-year-old stepfather crashed his car and died while seeking help.
The two may not have been the only heat-related deaths in Texas last week, my colleagues Jacey Fortin and Mary Beth Gahan reported. In Dallas, a postal worker collapsed and died while on his route during an excessive heat warning. Officials are investigating whether the heat was a cause.
A hotter normal
This week’s heat is likely just the beginning. Meteorologists predicted a hotter-than-normal summer this year, particularly in the West, Southwest, South, and Northeast. El Niño, a Pacific weather pattern, could send global temperatures even higher.
Climate change is one reason for the rising heat. Summer temperatures have steadily increased over the past three decades. A warming climate will push those temperatures higher, resulting in more and worse heat waves, wildfires and other extreme weather.
It is too late to reverse those trends for the current and next few summers, but you can take steps to protect yourself. For one, watch for dangerous heat in your area and respond accordingly: Stay inside, drink enough water and avoid direct sunlight or outdoor exercise.
Related: Using The Times’s heat tracker, you can look up the heat index in your area over the coming week to help reduce your own risk.
For more
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Concho Valley in West Texas was hotter than Death Valley at the weekend.
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Storms brought baseball-sized hail and tornadoes to the Midwest and South over the weekend.
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The storms have reached the East Coast. Thousands of flights are canceled or delayed, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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Intensifying rain is creating flood risks in parts of the U.S. where drainage systems aren’t built to cope.
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Wirecutter has advice for keeping your kitchen cool. (One tip: Let the slow cooker do the work.)
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