{"id":8863,"date":"2026-08-25T10:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T10:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestusamoverss.com\/?p=8863"},"modified":"2026-08-25T10:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T10:08:17","slug":"how-to-understand-this-heat-wave-as-told-by-nprs-senior-climate-editor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestusamoverss.com\/?p=8863","title":{"rendered":"How to understand this heat wave (as told by NPR’s senior climate editor)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

More than 80 million people are under an Extreme Heat Warning or Heat Advisory through this week, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters at the service’s Weather Prediction Center called this latest heat dome a “steamy air-mass even by mid-to-late August standards.”<\/p>

Read more Can Trump\u2019s economic war against Iran do what airstrikes and negotiations couldn\u2019t?<\/a><\/p>

Dangerous record-breaking heat will continue across the South-Central U.S. and expand into the Southwest by mid-week, bringing daytime temperatures into the triple digits. Much of the desert Southwest, including parts of Arizona and New Mexico, could also break heat records, according to the National Weather Service.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\n
\n
\"The<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Weather <\/h3>\n

The days are hot, but so are the nights. That’s a problem, experts say<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

As the senior climate editor at NPR, I often send out guidance to the NPR newsroom during extreme weather to help other editors and reporters understand the role of climate change.<\/p>

Now, as large regions of the U.S. are under threats from dangerous heat, you might be looking for that same context and information.<\/p>

What’s happening\u00a0<\/h3>

This latest heat wave is expected to remain over much of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley through the middle of this week, bringing temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The Southwest will continue to warm through the end of the week where daytime highs could be upwards of 110 degrees or more.<\/p>

\n
\n\n
\n
\"People<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Living Better <\/h3>\n

Going outside in this heat? Follow these guidelines to stay safe<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

It’s not just the daytime temperatures that are high. The nights won’t cool downaccording to the National Weather Service. These prolonged high temperatures coupled with little relief overnight increase the risk of heat-related illnesses.<\/p>

Scientists are increasingly able to make the connection between the extreme weather you’re experiencing \u2014 in this case, heat \u2014 and climate change. They can also show by just how much. NPR’s Rebecca Hersher has reported that the climate signal is especially strong with heat. She interviewed Michael Wehner, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he studies extreme weather and the impact climate change has on that weather.<\/p>\n\n

“For garden variety heat waves \u2014 like the hottest day of the year, or the hottest day every 10 years \u2014 in the U.S., climate change has increased that heat wave’s temperature by 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit,” Wehner explained.<\/p>

\n
\n\"Mark<\/picture>
\n

Weather <\/h3>\n

As extreme heat grips the South and West, here’s how to stay safe<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

As journalists, we turn to trusted sources, such as the National Climate Assessment and the World Weather Attribution \u2014 an international network of scientists \u2014 to help us report on extreme weather, and the impact of climate change. It starts with having credible sources of information such as the National Weather Service as well as peer-reviewed science. Here are a few of the links we reference early when assessing extreme weather and coverage plans.<\/p>