(FOX40.COM) — California natives are probably used to the scorching temperatures that come with living in the Golden State. But extreme heat can be more deadly than some realize.
• Video above: The difference between a heat advisory and a heat warning
Dangerous heat domes
California is prone to a weather condition known as heat domes.
“A heat dome is a large area of high pressure overhead,” said FOX40 Chief Meteorologist Adam Epstein. “The high pressure pushes the air toward the surface. As the air descends, it warms. “This can cause abnormally hot weather.”
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Although heat domes are fairly common in the western part of the United States, their effects increasingly put health and safety at risk by producing temperatures that can reach triple digits. In June 2024, before the official start of summer, the National Weather Service issued several warnings for excessive heat due to domes.
California cities like Sacramento, Palmdale, Redding, Modesto and Fresno were on the list for dangerous heat waves, and some areas like Death Valley were bracing for life-threatening temperatures: 125 degrees.
Heat deaths
A new record was recently set for the highest number of heat-related deaths in the United States in more than 45 years. On average, the Centers for Disease Control said 1,220 people die each year from extreme heat. In 2023, deaths soared to 2,300 according to an KeynoteUSA analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
California was one of the five states with the most heat deaths. Arizona had the highest number of deaths from extreme temperatures with 875. Texas had 455 heat-related deaths, followed by Nevada (227) and Louisiana (85). California and Florida tied at 84. With temperatures already high in each state, some experts fear the heat could be even deadlier in 2024.
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Heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, occur when the body cannot cool itself properly, according to the CDC. The body normally cools with sweat, but in extreme heat, a person’s body temperature is at risk of rising faster than it can cool down. The result can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs.
Fires
High temperatures put the state at risk of fires. California’s climate has a history of mixing warm temperatures with winds that often spark wildfires across the state. Some of the deadliest fires in world history have occurred in the Golden State.
In 2018, the Camp Fire became known as the most destructive fire in California history after it wreaked havoc in Paradise, destroying 18.8 thousand structures and killing 85 people, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The largest fire in California history was the August Complex Fire in 2020 that spread across several counties in the northern part of the state and burned 1 million acres. It killed 31 people, including three firefighters.
Fire season in California is known to fall between the months of April and October, and the chances of fires increasing with hot, dry conditions.
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