Tips for survival in extreme heat
With record-breaking heatwaves affecting millions, you’ll learn some important tips on how to stay safe in extreme temperatures.
Summer 2025 has arrived. It starts with hot and says predictions get used to it.
The hot summer isn’t just uncomfortable – it’s dangerous. Heat killed more people in 2024 than floods, tornadoes, winds and hurricanes, according to a report on weather-related deaths released by the National Weather Service. The average for 30 years tells the same story.
The danger of fever comes in many ways:
It can all be quickly cascaded into life-threatening or fatal illnesses, even healthy people.
Some thermal safety tips are obvious, but some are surprising. (Do you know how much water to drink while you’re passionate? That’s probably more than you think.)
What should you know about this:
The basics of safety
- Use sunscreen Or sunscreen: And reapply regularly (good baseline every 2 hours).
- Heat outfit: For the National Weather Service, we choose lightweight clothing in loose, bright colors.
- Do not leave children or pets in the car: The temperature quickly becomes fatal – even if it’s not too hot.
- Please check the weather: Your favorite weather app needs plenty of information on UV indexes (for sunscreen purposes), heat warnings, and temperatures like touch (details of important reasons below). Heat.gov provides additional information on forecasts and thermal risks.
- Bring water with you: If you spend a lot of time in the sun, you will need multiple bottles per person. (How many bottles are there? Read more here.)
- Find shade and air conditioners: Keep your risks cool and avoid direct sun whenever possible.
- Know your risks: Fever is dangerous to everyone, but some people are more vulnerable than others. Being a child puts you at greater risk by being over 65 or pregnant, says the Centers for Disease Control.
A story about our planet: Sign up for USA Today’s Climate Point Newsletter.
The humidity is not uncomfortable. What is the heat index?
When humidity is high, sweat is not very effective in cooling the body. It makes it feel hotter than that and increases the risk.
The heat index is a measure of how hot the relative humidity actually feels when factored along with actual temperature.
If the heat index reaches 105 degrees or higher, conditions can quickly become dangerous for people and pets.
a lot.
In Arizona, authorities recommend drinking about 65 ounces of water a day, even if you’re mostly indoors.
It’s even more urgent for people working outdoors in extreme heat. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says outdoor workers should drink at least 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes, even if they are thirsty.
If you’re drinking 16 ounces of water, it’s three bottles every two hours.
Do you just drink water? I’ll know more.
Your body may need to refill electrolytes, but if you are trying to stay hydrated, be careful with sugar and caffeinated drinks.
Kelly Orino, assistant professor of surgical oncology at Yale School of Medicine, told USA Today that people can dilute bottles of Gatorade with water to replenish their bodies and replace the loss of salt from extended sweating. “In extreme heat, we’re sweating, we’re losing pure water, but we’re losing salt too,” she said.
From hot to heat strokes: know how to spot symptoms of life-threatening conditions
Excessive heat and humidity make it difficult for your body to regulate the temperature. According to the CDC, there are some signs and symptoms of fever disease here.
The National Association of Athletic Trainers says heatstrokes can be fatal soon. The association says people should be careful:
- Changes in consciousness (“seizures, confusion, emotional instability, irrational behavior, or poor mental vision”)
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- Headache, dizziness, weakness
- Increased heart rate
- Low blood pressure and fast breathing
- dehydration
- Combat
People with a temperature of about 104 degrees are in a life-threatening situation. Immediate treatment is required. An incredibly effective treatment: an ice-filled bathtub.
Contributor: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today; Rafael Romero Lewis, Republic of Arizona; Cheryl McCloud, Pensacola News Journal

