At least a third of the U.S. population is under heat advisories and extreme heat warnings, and about 265 million people will see temperatures above 90 degrees in the coming days — with some of the hottest temperatures forecast for the southern Plains. Little Rock, Arkansas, recorded its 10th day this year with temperatures of at least 100 degrees on Tuesday, according to the NWS. The agency warned that Wednesday would be “another brutal day”, with scorching temperatures and dangerous heat indices. Fort Worth, Texas, which on Tuesday reported a record 109 degrees, is under an extreme heat warning Wednesday with temperatures expected to reach 110 degrees. In Oklahoma, where temperatures topped 100 degrees across much of the state Tuesday, extreme heat and drought led to wildfires and rural water system outages, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security told CNN. Kelly Cain. And it’s not just the US: The climate crisis has pushed the weather to extremes around the world, with a blistering heat wave sweeping through Europe this week. How to stay cool without air conditioning
In Texas, some prisons are without air conditioning
Oklahoma and Texas saw some of the hottest temperatures in the region on Tuesday — with a record high of 115 degrees recorded in Wichita Falls, Texas. Other areas of the state also soared past triple-digit highs, including Abilene, which recorded 110 degrees on Tuesday. Austin set its own daily record high of 106 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. However, some prison facilities across the state do not have working air conditioning, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said. “There are 100 (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) units, 31 have full AC, 55 have partial AC, and 14 have no AC. We take many precautions to reduce the effects of hot temperatures for those incarcerated in our facilities,” Amanda Hernandez , a department spokesman, told CNN in an email. The state has experienced at least four heat waves this season, a scorching streak that has begun to affect residents even before summer officially begins. And with the continued sweltering heat, some people in the criminal justice system have gotten sick from heat-related injuries. “In 2022, there were seven inmates who required medical attention beyond first aid for heat-related injuries,” Hernandez said. “None were fatal.” The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the agency that manages much of the state’s electric grid, set another unofficial demand record Tuesday, a spokesman told CNN. Another record is expected on Wednesday.
Because heat and humidity are particularly dangerous
Heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related death in the US, according to Kimberly McMahon, public weather services program manager at the National Weather Service. “Heat affects everyone by limiting the body’s ability to cool down,” McMahon said. High humidity levels further limit this ability. “Sweating removes 22 percent of excess body heat by redirecting heat to sweat evaporation,” said CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford. “High humidity means there’s more moisture in the air. Since there’s a lot more moisture in the air, it causes sweat to evaporate more slowly, which slows down your body’s natural ability to cool itself. That’s why heat indices on a day with high humidity can be much warmer than the actual air temperature.” Extreme heat and humidity can lead to heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion “and — worst of all — heat stroke that can lead to death,” McMahon said. There are an average of 702 heat-related deaths and 9,235 hospitalizations each year nationwide, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the threat is only growing, according to the agency. “Extreme heat is a real threat and should be taken seriously,” McMahon added. Those most vulnerable to high temperatures include outdoor workers, pregnant women, people with heart or lung conditions, young children, older adults and athletes, according to the CDC. CNN’s Joe Sutton and Mike Saenz contributed to this report.
