Schools are closed, records are broken. Let's talk heatwaves
Extreme heatwaves are forcing school closures and breaking temperature records across multiple regions, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on daily life and infrastructure.
Background
A heatwave is an extended period of unusually hot weather, often with high humidity. Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting globally. The article discusses how infrastructure (schools, power grids, roads) built for a cooler past is failing under extreme heat, and how heat disproportionately harms low-income communities and outdoor workers. The term "wet-bulb temperature" (a measure combining heat and humidity) is key: when wet-bulb exceeds 35°C (95°F), the human body can no longer cool itself by sweating, leading to mass mortality even with access to water. Unlike hurricanes or floods, heatwaves are invisible and rarely trigger formal disaster declarations, which means slower emergency response and less public awareness.