Heat-related emergency room visits and calls continued to climb in New York state on Tuesday as a result of a blistering and unusually prolonged June heat wave. According to data from the state health department, heat-related emergency room visits were 631% higher than the average for a June day in the state. The 95 heat-related ER visits recorded on Tuesday were more than double the 41 visits on Monday and seven times higher than the daily average of 13.
State health officials also noted an increase in heat-related emergency services calls in recent days. While these statistics do not include New York City, city officials confirmed a rise in visits for heat-related illnesses from May to September in recent years.
The soaring temperatures persisted across New York on Tuesday after reaching the 90s on Monday. These figures underscore the severe health risks associated with extreme heat. In the United States, heat-related incidents claim more lives than any other weather-related disasters, a trend that is expected to worsen as global temperatures rise due to the burning of fossil fuels.
A spokesperson from the New York governor's office, Sam Spokony, highlighted the correlation between climate change and extreme weather events, particularly extreme heat. Concerns were raised about the detrimental effects of poor air quality and high temperatures on public health, especially among vulnerable populations lacking access to cool, clean air.
