A new report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists warns of a bleak, dangerously hot future if steps aren't taken to stop climate change.
According to the report, titled 'Killer Heat in the United States: Climate Choices and the Future of Dangerously Hot Days,' the Southeast and Southern Great Plains are some of the hottest parts of our country today. But future warming will make extreme heat in these regions even more frequent and severe. With no climate action, states across the Southeast and Southern Great Plains regions—including Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas—are projected to undergo more than a tripling in the average frequency of days with a heat index above 100°F, from the current 20 to 30 days per year to the equivalent of two to three months per year.
The report warns that, by the middle of the century, people in southern states would be exposed to to an average of 30 or more days per year with a heat index above 105 degrees. That's if no action is taken to reduce emissions and there are no changes to the Texas population in the next 30 years.
Historically, fewer than 50,000 people have been exposed to such frequent extreme heat in Texas and Florida combined.
With no action to reduce heat-trapping emissions, people in roughly half of Louisiana and a large band of eastern Texas could expect an average of 20 to 28 days per year of off-the charts heat.
You can read the full report on the UCUSA website.