The Vox guide to extreme heat

Record-breaking heat continues to scorch different parts of the globe. Each year has seen one of the cooler years of the rest of our lives as the planet continues warming.

From why it’s so hot, to how we talk about heat, to what you can do to keep yourself cool, to how policies could make a difference, our guide to extreme heat explores our warming world.

• This number can measure how dangerous a heat wave is for you
• What to do (and avoid) in extreme heat
• What American cities could do right now to save us from this unbearable heat

• El Niño is nowhere near done wreaking havoc on the world’s weather
• The Southern Hemisphere, where it’s winter, has been really hot too
• This summer is giving us a glimpse at the dangerous future of work
• It’s even hot underwater
• It’s even hot in Antarctica, where it’s winter
• 3 reasons why this summer is so damn hot
• The unusual factors behind the extraordinary heat across the southern US
• The Texas heat wave is even worse because of its timing
• The world’s oceans are extremely hot. We’re about to find out what happens next.

Heat, explained

• Heat is deadly. Why does our culture push us to ignore it?
• This number can measure how dangerous a heat wave is for you
• How heat waves form, and how climate change makes them worse
• Yes, it’s hot. But this could be one of the coolest summers of the rest of your life.

How heat affects your mental and physical health — and what to do about it

• Too hot to sleep? Tips for a good night’s rest, even in extreme summer heat.
• Summertime sadness is real
• What to do (and avoid) in extreme heat
• Common sunscreen myths, debunked
• Why you feel grouchy on super hot days
• The invisible consequences of heat on the body and mind
• 7 burning questions about sunscreen, answered

A new weather “normal”

• Why this year’s Hajj was so deadly
• What “record-breaking heat” actually means
• It’s not just climate disasters. “Normal” weather is getting weirder, too.
• Welcome to the era of weather whiplash
• We talk about heat waves in a weird way

Solutions for extreme heat

• What American cities could do right now to save us from this unbearable heat
• What 6 degrees of warming means for a community built on ice
• Stop setting your thermostat at 72
• If it’s 100 degrees out, does your boss have to give you a break? Probably not.
• Beavers are heat wave heroes
• Bus stops and playgrounds are too damn hot
• The US could stop one cause of heat wave deaths tomorrow
• The air conditioning paradox
• How America’s hottest city is trying to cool down
• It’s time to rethink air conditioning
• Extreme heat is killing American workers