heat Archives - TPR: The Public's Radio

A displaced Palestinian woman uses a plastic plate to fan a baby during a heatwave in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, on June 11, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group.

NPR

Rising temperatures could have a chilling impact on young children

by Jonathan Lambert December 9, 2025December 9, 2025

A study points to a new concern about the effect that heat can have on young children.

Trying to beat the heat? There are other methods to try besides dropping the thermostat.

NPR

How effective is ‘precooling’ your home during off-peak hours? It depends

by Ayana Archie July 23, 2025July 23, 2025

Does precooling your home work? Yes, no or maybe — depending on who you ask. But don’t worry, we also have some other tips to keep you cool this summer.

Local, South Coast Bureau, Transportation

Extreme heat forces closure of New Bedford-Fairhaven bridge

by Ben Berke June 25, 2025June 26, 2025

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The extreme heat wave this week has forced the New Bedford-Fairhaven bridge to close for a second day in a row, halting marine traffic into the nation’s highest-earning fishing port and forcing cars and trucks to avoid a main artery into the South Coast city. Starting on Tuesday as temperatures creeped above 100 degrees, the […]

A map from the National Integrated Heat Health Information System shows a much of the eastern U.S. in the grip of a heat dome.

NPR

‘A lid on a pot’: How does a heat dome work?

by Bill Chappell June 24, 2025June 24, 2025

“If you’ve made grilled cheese in a pan and you put a lid on there, it melts the cheese faster because the lid helps trap the heat,” a National Weather Service official told NPR.

Older people in Los Angeles's Chinatown neighborhood shade themselves from the beating sun. Exposure to heat can change the way people's genes work, potentially leading to long-term health impacts. Climate change is making heat waves more intense and long-lasting in many parts of the U.S.

NPR

Heat can age you as much as smoking, a new study finds

by Alejandra Borunda March 17, 2025March 17, 2025

Exposure to heat can alter the way your DNA works, according to a new study. The effects could lead to long-term health outcomes.

NPR

January wasn’t expected to break global temperature records. But it did.

by Alejandra Borunda February 12, 2025February 12, 2025

The planet has been shattering heat records for the past two years. That was expected to ease in January—and the fact that it didn’t has climate researchers worried.