Feeling hotter for longer: Near 107 million could feel 125F by 2053

You might not be part of the 8 million people that today experience heat of at least 125F at some point of the year, but in about 30 years this could change for you, the 8 million that currently do, and another 99 million people.

A study done by First Street Foundation, a nonprofit climate organization, found that increasing temperatures, due to human-induced climate change, will make temperatures feel like for at least a quarter of the United States, increasing rapidly through 2053. This will bring the heat indices of at least 125F during the hottest 7 days to about 108 million Americans, in 1,023 counties!

The areas where this is most likely to happen are just east of the Central Plains, from Wisconsin to eastern Texas, and to areas just west of the Appalachians – they are calling it “the Extreme Heat Belt”. Three other areas that will likely feel temperatures of at least 125F during their hottest stretch are from coastal Georgia through Virginia, the Desert Southeast, from inland southern California, Las Vegas through southwestern Arizona, and much of the west coast of Florida, including South Florida.

In fact, Miami-Dade County, located in South Florida, is set to experience the most severe shift in local temperatures. Currently, local hottest 7-day- feels-like temperatures in this county sit at 103F, but by 2053, local cities could experience up to 34 days with the same temperature.

For parts of the Southwest, there are heat indices that already feel 125F during the year, but these periods will just become longer.

The national average hottest temperatures will increase in 2053 to 18 days from 2023’s 7 days.

Extreme heat becoming more common is dire to Americans, as not only afternoon temperatures are excruciating, but night-time extreme hot temperatures also pose a big risk for public health.