Extreme heat has sent thousands to emergency rooms as temperatures become hazardous — or deadly. Dr. Aneesh Narang is an emergency medicine physician at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, which has endured a dangerously long streak of 110-degree days or 90-degree nights. He describes what heat exhaustion feels like and why it’s the first clue that something is wrong.

Tips for staying alive in extreme heat
Not giving your body the chance to cool off can have serious consequences. Among the top safety tips from experts: Proactively hydrate. (Keeping an eye on urine color is also a good idea.) Read more.

Climate change's role in record-breaking heat waves
The recent brutal waves that have hit North America and Europe would be “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change, a new analysis has found. A meteorologist discusses where the global response stands now in limiting future warming. Watch now.

How are leaders responding?
The heat waves have renewed calls for climate action, including more to prevent heat-related deaths. President Joe Biden is announcing new actions to offer relief from the heat, including a first-ever “hazard alert” for workers. What can cities do to prepare for rising temperatures? We explored new ideas from leaders in Phoenix, a city long considered a “heat island” by experts. Watch now.

Living through extreme heat behind bars
The heat is also particularly brutal for incarcerated people in facilities without air conditioning. By one count, 44 states don't have air conditioning in all their prisons, and there are dire consequences for those incarcerated and staff. Watch now.

Extreme heat is more dangerous than many realize
A climate journalist explains that triple-digit heat is not a “gentle thing” that can be solved by turning on the air conditioner or dressing differently, but a lethal force that can kill you quickly. Watch now.