Axios - Many U.S. cities now have more heat streaks on average each year compared to 1970, a new analysis finds. Prolonged heat — as much of the U.S. has experienced this summer — is particularly hazardous to human health.
The average number of annual extreme heat streaks rose between 1970-2024 in 80% of the 247 U.S. cities analyzed in a new report from Climate Central, a climate research group.
- The nearly 200 cities with an increase now have two more annual heat streaks on average.
Climate Central defines an "extreme heat streak" as three or more days in a row with maximum temperatures over the 90th percentile of a given location's daily max temperatures during the 1991-2020 Climate change is making extreme heat more intense and more frequent, studies have shown.
- Many urban neighborhoods suffer from the "urban heat island" phenomenon, where buildings, roads and other structures trap heat, making it even hotter. Full story
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