heat wave

A recently proposed Miami-Dade County ordinance looked to offer heat-related protections for outdoor workers six months of the year. Now, changes to the proposal could mean workers receive those protections – for approximately five days a year.

With record-setting temperatures worldwide this summer, cities are confronting the problem of “urban heat islands,” areas that experience higher temperatures because of dense building and lack of green space.

Loved ones and community members demanded action as they gathered in remembrance of farmworker Efraín López García, who died earlier this month while working outdoors in the sweltering heat.

A dramatic increase in ocean temperatures around South Florida in early July caught scientists off-guard. They're now rushing to help struggling coral on the only inshore reef in the continental U.S.

The next stop for the proposed ordinance is a committee meeting in September. If it clears that hurdle it would then go back to the full county commission for a final vote.

Miami-Dade County artist-in-residence Xavier Cortada unveiled a series of paintings highlighting the threat of extreme heat in Miami. He also revealed a cooling towel, printed with one of his designs, which he hopes will keep people cool this summer.

Farmworker advocates are calling on the state legislature to take up a bill that would protect outdoor workers in extreme heat.

Unprecedented heat waves are on the rise as the climate gets hotter. But experts say the country's heat warning system may be leading the public to underestimate the dangers.

If Californians don't mind their energy use over the next several days, officials warn, they could force power outages during a punishing heat wave that's hitting Western states.

Earlier this year, there had been warnings that supply during peak summer hours might not meet demand. But there have been no reports yet of widespread outages.

Parts of the Great Plains are forecast to hit record-breaking temperatures this week, while in Europe, extreme heat has fueled wildfires and contributed to hundreds of deaths in recent days.

For decades, it was impossible to say that a specific weather event was caused, or even made worse, by climate change. But advanced research methods are changing that.