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As summer begins, climate scientists have warnings. The season can become a scorwoman, and children can be at risk especially at present.
Summer has been hot in most US counties since 1970, according to an analysis by the non-profit Climate Central.
In the summer, when kids run around outside with friends, that’s a particularly troublesome trend for parents. Heat waves occur more frequently and last longer. And as temperatures rise, even playgrounds can become dangerous places.
“It really reminds us of how much we are changing the planet,” said Kristina Dahl, vice president of science at Climate Central.
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Climate Central calculated how U.S. temperatures changed during the “weather summer” period from 1970 to 2024 (that is one way the beginning of the season is measured; the other is measured by the summer solstice occurring on June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, atmospheric management. This trend meant hotter days than 44 additional heat in Miami, 30 days in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 28 days in San Francisco, and 20 days in Philadelphia. Washington, DC recorded another 17 days, and Portland, Maine recorded another 15 days.
On average, summer temperatures have increased 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit nationwide. Some Midwest counties have mild cooling due to natural climate change and factors such as more water in the atmosphere from the irrigation system, Dahl said. However, the data shows that the entire country is getting hotter.
Nationwide, cities with rising summer temperatures saw an increase in numbers where central climates are usually defined as hotter than normal. The national average changed in just under three weeks, in 19.5 days, which is a very hot day per summer.
A few cities showed declines, including Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a place where you experience various fluctuations over the years, Dahl said. Part of it is related to drought, and part of it is related to weather patterns in El Niño, warming sea surface temperatures.
A few cities showed declines, including Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a place where you experience various fluctuations over the years, Dahl said. Part of it is related to drought, and partly it is related to El Nino weather patterns, warming ocean surface temperatures.
“It’s just one place where there’s no clear, important trends,” she said.
Many California cities have been hotter than usual since 1970. Fresno tops the list and surpasses the standard by more than a month each summer.
Why climate change puts children at risk
Most places across the country see temperatures rising, and those additional hot temperatures have created new dangers for the most vulnerable people, among them children up to 17 years old.
A survey published in 2022 shows that nearly 12% of emergency department visits by children across the US from May to September are already the result of excessive fever.
Extreme heat affects children in many ways. Infants and young children are sweating and are unable to regulate their core temperature like adults. Their immune system is still developing and cannot combat symptoms of heat stress, according to the environmental health cooperation for children co-founded by UNICEF, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank.
“Each age group is vulnerable for a variety of reasons,” said Dr. Lisa Patel of Stanford Children’s Health.
Babies cannot adapt themselves to extreme heat, whether they remove blankets or move them to cool places. The toddler is tragically left in a hot car. Older children spend more time outdoors.
“Unfortunately, our playgrounds were built in different eras, so these artificial turf and black asphalt really hold onto that heat and could be a problem,” she said.
A 2024 paper from Harvard’s Center on Developmental Children points out that too little learning and too little sleep threatens a child’s development, attacks mental and behavioral health at a time when the effects can last longer.
“The risk of excessive fever on certain populations, such as older adults, is well known, but there is little attention to the effects on pregnancy, infancy and childhood,” the author writes. “Extreme fever affects infants and young children more than most adults, and the potential impact on their health and development can be lifelong.”
The risk of excessive fever to certain populations, such as the elderly, is well known, but the effects on pregnancy, infancy and childhood are less noticeable
“Extreme heat affects development and health in early childhood.”
Harvard University’s Developing Children’s Center
The effects of extreme heat on teenagers can also be severe.
Older children cannot associate these symptoms with fever, such as headache, nausea, convulsions, or lethargy. It can also make it more difficult to concentrate on schools. Their sleep is destroyed and their mood is affected. They may have higher risks as they work outdoors.
When it’s especially hot, doctors see more adolescents in emergency rooms, where they are facing mental health crisis, or as victims of violence.
“And you add our American context. There are more guns here than there are people in this country. Unfortunately, it’s a tinder box in terms of how we treat each other and the kind of unfortunate incidents that can happen,” Patel said.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 9,000 high school athletes in the United States are treated for fever-related illnesses each year. By 2050, almost every child, over 2 billion people, on the planet, is expected to experience more heat waves, according to the Children’s Environmental Health Cooperative Report.
“You’re thinking about what summer childhood looks like, and that has changed a lot,” Dahl said.
With more families consisting of two working parents, fewer parents are at home in the summer to oversee their children, she pointed out, and already spends more time indoors.
“While some of these changes may be better, some of them may get worse, and I think the idea that more kids are more limited in terms of what they can do and how they can play in the summer will be something we’ll face more and more.”
Patel pointed out how many different locations are affected in the US and elsewhere.
“I think we still think that climate change is a distant issue and that it’s not necessarily something that we are affected,” she said.
How to protect your child from extreme heat
As temperatures continue to rise, parents and others can prepare for extreme heat that could put their children at risk. Here’s a hint from Climate Central:
Check your temperature and heat forecasts and avoid outdoor activities in the hottest parts of the day. Make sure the playground equipment and surfaces are not too hot. Know the symptoms of fever-related illnesses and when your child needs medical assistance. Make sure your children drink plenty of water when they play outdoors or participate in organized sports. Coaches should plan for emergencies. Don’t leave your child in the car for a while. Check the back seat when you go outside. Whether at home, at school or when available, spend time in air conditioning and talk to school officials about how you plan for extreme heat.
Finally, Patel urges everyone to talk to decision makers and ask what their plans are to deal with climate change.
“We can only adapt to the points and past that point, our bodies can’t,” she said. “So, if we don’t take action to mitigate climate change by moving towards clean forms of energy, we have a burnt world with fewer places to live and where the places we loved were burned beyond our perception.”
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