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Out of 31 days in July, Denver temperatures . So far this summer, the city has seen six days with temperatures above 100°F and one of the hottest Julys in recorded history.��

Extreme heat is no longer just a problem for places like Phoenix. As climate change drives up temperatures around the world, communities are experiencing more frequent and more intense heat waves.��

In Europe, places that historically experience just a handful of hot days every year, a relentless heat wave has gripped the continent, fueling droughts and destructive wildfires. It is estimated that the extreme heat in Europe this summer has caused as many as .

“Heat is the deadliest climate-related hazard, causing more fatalities in the United States than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined,” said Sara Meerow, a new associate professor in the Department of Geography. “While we’ve only seen close to a 1.5°C (2.7°F) increase in global average temperatures, it translates to a very big shift in the number of extreme heat days that we’re seeing everywhere.”��

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Sara Meerow

According to , an extreme heat event that previously occurred once every 50 years is now happening once every decade.��

A has shown that the city of Boulder, Colorado, historically experienced about five days each year above��95°F, but the city could see��nearly 30 such days by 2030.

“Now heat is really sort of a chronic threat, and so communities everywhere really do need to be planning for heat resilience,” said Meerow, who is also joining ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ as a fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and the Institute of Behavioral Science.

With more hot days on the horizon, ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ Today sat down with Meerow to discuss why heat remains an "invisible hazard," why many communities are still unprepared and what can be done to protect the people most at risk.

Are US cities prepared for the level of heat we're experiencing today?

It's really getting hotter everywhere due to a combination of global climate change and local development patterns, as well as weather patterns.

Our planning and proactive management of heat is still . Part of the reason is that heat is an invisible hazard. It doesn't have the dramatic images of flooding or wildfires that make front pages.��

But I do think that's starting to change. We're in a ‘’ moment, a turning point where increasing heat waves are making people more aware of the risks and leading to calls for more action.

Who faces the greatest risks from extreme heat?

Heat risks are highly inequitable.

Some neighborhoods are simply hotter than others. Research has shown that areas that were historically redlined, or subject to discriminatory lending practices largely because residents were poor or people of color, often have less vegetation and are hotter today. At the same time, some populations are much more susceptible to heat-related illness and death, such as older adults, people with pre-existing medical conditions, children and unhoused people.

We also tend to think of heat as an urban problem, but rural communities face significant risks as well. Research has shown that rural residents often arrive at hospitals sicker from heat-related illnesses, in part because they have less access to healthcare. Rural areas also have many outdoor and agricultural workers who face prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. That’s why some colleagues and I recently wrote a report for the American Planning Association providing specific on how to plan for rural heat resilience.��

How do we build a heat-resilient city?

We generally think about three categories of strategies: heat mitigation, heat management and heat governance.

Heat mitigation strategies are things that actually cool communities by reducing temperatures. That includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also reducing the excess heat produced by buildings, pavement and automobiles through measures like planting more trees and installing reflective roofs.��

Heat management protects people from the heat we can't eliminate. These include public health campaigns, early warning systems and creating cooling centers to ensure people have access to indoor cooling.

Finally, heat governance is about building institutions that can better coordinate these efforts. Historically, heat has been a problem that no single agency was responsible for. Some cities are now to help fill that gap.��

It can be hard for cities to know where to start, so we’ve developed that offers step-by-step guidance for heat action.��

What can individuals do to better protect themselves?

One of the most important things is simply being aware of heat risks and understanding your own health. Certain pre-existing conditions or medications, for example, can increase the risk of heat-related illness.

When excessive heat warnings are issued, consider changing your routine to avoid strenuous activities, like going for a run, during the hottest parts of the day.

People can also make their homes more heat-resilient by using energy-efficient appliances, adding vegetation or shade around the home and using blinds effectively.��

Individuals can also advocate for more proactive heat planning in their communities.��

There's no single silver bullet. We need to think about which combination of strategies will be most effective for each community based on the heat risks it faces.