The world is heating up, and few aspects of the daily routine will be unaffected.
Photo Illustration: Tonje Thilesen/Bloomberg
How Extreme Heat Is Reshaping Daily Life
From 6 a.m. errands and rejiggered commutes to new hydration tactics and a boom in air conditioning, heat wave workarounds are the new normal.
In Phoenix, heat is a constant challenge: Last year, the city experienced 31 consecutive days of temperatures above 110F (43C). That’s why Phoenix’s Paideia Elementary started buying cooling vests loaded with ice packs for its teachers to wear during daily dismissal. The school now has more than 30 of them.
“School starts Aug. 1 when [it’s] over 100F, and that is going all the way through September,” says Brian Winsor, executive director of Paideia Academies, which also includes a 7th-to-12th-grade school.