An intense heat wave gripped a large portion of the country during the last full week of June. Records fell as dangerous levels of heat and humidity swept as far north as New England. 

What's happening?

The United States experienced its seventh-warmest June on record, fueled by a historic heat wave. The June ranking got a boost from a record-breaking heat that rolled in at the end of the month. The deadly heat wave surged as far north as New England, pushing temperatures to 100 degrees or hotter during the scorching streak that started on June 22 and continued through June 28. 

Nearly 500 people sought help in an urgent care facility or emergency room in Maryland during the heat wave, according to the state's department of health. There were at least seven heat-related deaths reported in Maryland as a result of the extreme heat. 

Pregnant women, newborns, children, the elderly, and those with chronic illness are especially vulnerable to extreme temperatures. One of the sometimes overlooked groups of people who face a higher risk of heat-related illness is outdoor workers.

"They're at risk too, and we don't think of them as vulnerable because being not at extremes of ages, but because of the nature of their jobs and activities, that makes them high risk," North Shore University Hospital's Dr. Payal Sud told WABC.

Why is the late-June heat wave important?

At the height of the heat wave, temperatures surged to 102 in Boston and 103 in Newark, New Jersey. John F. Kennedy Airport hit 102 degrees on two consecutive days, its first time ever topping 100 in June. There were more than 177 million people under either an extreme heat watch, extreme heat warning, or heat advisory during the peak of the heat. 

June was nearly 3 degrees above average, making it the fifth consecutive warmer-than-average month for the country during the first month of meteorological summer. Globally, last month was 1.76 degrees warmer than the 20th-century average for the Earth's third-warmest June on record.

Heat is far and away the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S. On average, heat has killed more people annually over the past 30 years than floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes combined.

What's being done about deadly heat waves?

The heat-trapping gases being emitted into our atmosphere from dirty energy sources are acting like steroids for our world's weather, supercharging storms and intensifying heat waves. Major technological advances in the renewable energy sector will help curb harmful carbon pollution. Researchers in Saudi Arabia have discovered a way to boost solar cell longevity by over 200%. One company recently announced a technological breakthrough that could revolutionize EVs.

There are several simple steps we can all take at home to help. Replacing traditional light bulbs with LEDs, washing clothes in cold water, and regularly cleaning the lint filter in our dryer can cut energy bill costs and also protect the planet by reducing carbon pollution.

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