‘Silent Killer’: Experts Warn of Record U.S. Deaths from Extreme Heat

Heat is the leading weather-related cause of mortalities in the U.S., and this summer’s record-breaking temperatures, worsened by the human-caused climate crisis, have led to fears a new annual high death toll will be set in 2023.

“We are seeing the full spectrum of risks, from heat exhaustion to more injuries from dehydration to even new food or water borne illnesses because bacteria can replicate faster in warmer weather. My guess is that 2023 will prove to be one of the years with the most heat-related excess deaths on record in recent memory,” said Gregory Wellenius, an expert in environmental health at Boston University School of Public Health. Read more from the Guardian here.