Weeks before the solstice, summer 2024 started off hot with a wave of triple-digit temperatures in California, Texas and Nevada that set off a flurry of heat advisories and excessive heat warnings.
And more hot days are expected. Meteorologists are predicting that summer temperatures will run at least two degrees above historical averages for over half the country.
With an Associated Press analysis showing that summer 2023 set records for U.S. heat deaths, the forecast for this year carries more than a hint of ominosity.
Stephen P. Wood, director of Northeastern’s Extreme Medicine Certificate Program, says it’s important for people to recognize the signs of heat illness and how quickly heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, when immersion in cold water is necessary to save lives.