The Vox guide to extreme heat

Heat records will keep falling. Our guide on why it’s so hot, how to stay cool, and climate solutions.

Record-breaking heat is scorching different parts of the globe. Fueled by climate change and a global weather event called El Niño, this summer is especially hot. Oceans all around the world have seen extraordinarily high average temperatures. And as summer sets in, the temperature will continue to climb.

June 2023 was the warmest June on planet Earth since record-keeping began in 1850, according to the nonprofit group Berkeley Earth. But this heat is not surprising. As hot as the weather has been, it may be one of the cooler years of the rest of our lives as the planet continues warming.

From why it’s so hot to how we talk about heat to what you can do to keep yourself cool to how policies could make a difference, our guide to extreme heat explores our warming world.