The Earth has never been so hot. Millions of people, amounting to nearly half the country, across the Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast are under heat alerts. Outside of the US, an early heat wave in India and Pakistan saw temperatures reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Europe was gripped by extreme heat in June and early July, resulting in over 2,000 deaths. All of this after 2024 was recorded as the globe’s warmest year.

Extreme heat is extremely dangerous, and can even be deadly. Heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. Prolonged exposure to hot temperatures can result in heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps, sunburn, and heat rash. Infants and young children, adults over the age of 65, people who are overweight, and people who are on certain medications — like amphetamines and antidepressants — are most at risk for heat-related illness. People who work outside and are exposed to the sun and heat also are at greater risk.

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Children produce more body heat and sweat less than adults, and tend to not stay as hydrated, making them more sensitive to the heat. “Their skin is also vulnerable,” says Joanna Cohen, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins Children’s........

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