A sweltering 112 degrees Fahrenheit in North Texas. 97 in Minneapolis. 103 in Nebraska. A record 104 in London. Temperatures across the United States and other parts of the world are soaring in the kind of extreme heat waves that are expected to become more common with climate change.
Officials are warning the public to do whatever they can to stay cool. But the dangers from extreme temperatures go beyond dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Extreme heat holds special risk for people with chronic diseases — an enormous group that has only been made larger by Covid-19.