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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Gabrielle Canon

California debates naming heatwaves to underscore deadly risk of extreme heat

A man walks a park path while holding a sun protection umbrella with the Los Angeles skyline in the distance.
The deadly effects of a heatwave can seem more subtle, leading to a perceived low risk. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP

Climate scientists from around the world issued dire warnings on Monday, in the latest IPCC report on the dangers posed in the unfolding climate crisis. Among them is extreme heat, a crisis that on average already claims more American lives than hurricanes and tornadoes combined.

Though the impact is already being felt, heatwaves are largely silent killers. Often, the toll is tallied far into the aftermath of an event and is vastly undercounted. Unlike fires and floods that produce immediate and visible destruction, heat’s harmful effects can seem more subtle – even if they are in fact more deadly.

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