Another heatwave is sweeping much of the US this week, with millions under heat advisory. The blistering and potentially life-threatening temperatures come as much of the western US faces devastating wildfires and the north-east endures “apocalyptic” floods.
Scientists agree such conditions would be virtually impossible without the climate crisis. Last week saw the four hottest days ever recorded on the planet, and 2024 is expected to be the warmest year on record.
The Centers for Disease Control and Protection registered 2,302 heat-related deaths last year, though experts warn that figure is probably an undercount. Simply having an air conditioner isn’t always enough to keep you safe: many Americans cannot afford to power their ACs; outages, like the one that struck much of Texas last month, pose a growing threat; and in some cases working ACs aren’t powerful enough in the face of extreme heat.
Readers across the US shared how extreme heat is affecting their lives and offered tips on how to stay cool.
‘I live on farmers’ hours’
One of my biggest worries is taking care of my animals. I’ve had a couple of chickens die lately and I think it might have been the heat. [Hotter] summers have totally changed when I can grow certain crops,and things that I used to grow in the summer I’m now growing over the winter – onions, peas, various greens.
I’m lucky to have a lot of trees and shade on my property. It’s usually cool in the early morning, so in the summer I live on farmers’ hours – in bed at 8pm and up before 5am. That way I can do the heavy physical labor before it gets too warm out. After 10 or 11am I’m indoors for the rest of the day.
I have an absorbent neck band that holds water – I put it in the fridge and put them on when I’m too hot to keep working.Those of us in the south-west have a head start on the rest of the country, because we are used to this kind of heat. We’re used to getting it in August rather than in June, but at least we have tools and routines already developed.
RM, Albuquerque, New Mexico, semi-retired farmer
‘Cold showers’
Many of Baltimore’s old homes are equipped with wooden shutters. I keep them closed during the day against the sun, close rooms that we don’t actively use, and create good airflow through the rooms that we do.
I take cold showers, I run the air conditioners on high at night, so that I can run them less during the heat of the day. I avoid using the oven, the dishwasher and the washing machine during heat spells. I use my car as little as possible, and utilize a reflective windshield and sunscreen to block the sun’s heat.
I spend a few hours a day in a large public air-conditioned space, such as a museum, to avoid going stir-crazy. I try to spend as much time outdoors when the weather is not overly hot, so that I can tolerate being indoors when it is.
Jo, Baltimore, Maryland
‘At night, I spray my top sheet with cold water’
Many years ago, when I was in India and did not have air conditioning, I would soak heavy towels in cold water, wring them out, hang them over a chair and blow a fan on them. This would cool the room.
At night, I would spray my top sheet with cold water and then blow a fan on it. Soon it was so cool I had to turn the fan off. When driving without air conditioning, all occupants of the car had wet towels spread over their laps and chest. With all the windows open and the air blowing in and hitting the wet towels, it felt like air conditioning.
Janet, 75, retired, North Carolina
‘My day job is delivering the mail. The trucks have no air conditioning’
Temperatures at home are unpleasant enough, but my day job is delivering the mail. LLV’s (the boxy white postal trucks) have no air conditioning and the engine is directly adjacent to the driver’s compartment, so during a hot day temperatures inside the LLV can soar up to 100-120F-plus (38-49C).
Needless to say, driving around in such sustained temperatures for six to eight hours a day is problematic, and dehydration is a significant problem that many mail carriers have to deal with.
I, and other mail carriers, carry a small insulated cooler [that] I stock with frozen bottles of water along with packets of Gatorade powder to replenish electrolytes. I also keep both a frozen therapeutic cold pack and a damp bandanna in the cooler, in case the ice-melt bottles aren’t quite cutting it.
Mark, Stoneham, Massachusetts, 49, mail carrier
‘We like to spend time at our local library’
We live in the southern California desert where it is normally very hot in the summer, but heatwaves can get ridiculous. We have had highs of 45C (113F), and the difference between the usual 38C (100F) and 45C is significant. My four-year-old and I became dehydrated at one point and I had flu-like symptoms while she was vomiting at night on two occasions.
Staying indoors in a cool environment is key. Even being in a shady area in a splash pool outside was detrimental for my child. If your home doesn’t have cooling, finding somewhere that does is important. We like to spend time at our local library when we need to get out of the house. Staying hydrated in extreme heat is not enough either. Electrolytes are important – either dissolving ones you add to your water, coconut water, or foods like bananas or pineapple can work.
And of course do not exercise after the sun comes up. I jog regularly and get up before it gets light in order to exercise. Once the sun comes into view over the horizon, back indoors we go.
I leave a little water in dishes outside for our local wildlife to make their experience in the heat a little easier too. Even the snakes take advantage of it in extreme conditions.
Ida Marienschek, near Joshua Tree, California, 42, stay-at-home mom
