Climate Change Raises Rates of U.S. Emergency Room Visits For Heat Illness

Climate change accounted for 27% of the rate of heat-related emergency room visits in the U.S. during 2018-2025. August 2026 was the warmest August on record globally, with record warmth affecting 13.2% of global land and ocean areas. In the U.S., Summer 2026 was the warmest on record for the contiguous region, and August 2026 was the warmest August for average, maximum, and minimum temperatures since 1895. Drought affected at least 81% of the contiguous U.S. as of September 8, 2026, and nearly 8.3 million acres burned year-to-date, driven by increased 'fire weather' days. Attribution analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates human-caused climate change drove summertime warming trends in 91% of analyzed U.S. cities. Additionally, a strong El Niño event is projected to peak around February 2027, with global temperature anomalies potentially reaching 1.7C above pre-industrial levels.

• Climate change was responsible for 27% of the rate of heat-related emergency room visits in the United States between 2018 and 2025.
• August 2026 set a global record as the warmest August on record for combined land and ocean temperatures, with 13.2% of global areas experiencing record warmth.
• The contiguous U.S. experienced its warmest summer on record in 2026, with August 2026 being the warmest August for average, maximum, and minimum temperatures since records began in 1895.
• Severe drought conditions affected at least 81% of the contiguous U.S. by September 8, 2026, with over 58% in at least moderate drought and 12% in extreme or exceptional drought.
• U.S. wildfire activity reached a year-to-date record of nearly 8.3 million burned acres by the end of August 2026, exacerbated by an increase in 'fire weather' days since 1973.
• Human-caused climate change is identified as a key driver of summertime warming trends in 91% of analyzed U.S. cities, with some locations like San Juan, Puerto Rico, recording exceptional conditions (CSI level 5) for the entire month of August.
• A very strong El Niño event is projected for winter 2026-2027, with global temperature anomalies expected to peak around February 2027 at approximately 1.7C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline.

APA

Trudeau, K. (2026). Climate Change Raises Rates of U.S. Emergency Room Visits For Heat Illness. Climate Central. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-briefings/august-2026

Chicago

Trudeau, Kaitlyn. Climate Change Raises Rates of U.S. Emergency Room Visits For Heat Illness. Climate Central, 2026. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-briefings/august-2026.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Trudeau |first1=Kaitlyn |title=Climate Change Raises Rates of U.S. Emergency Room Visits For Heat Illness |publisher=Climate Central |date=August 2026 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-briefings/august-2026 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{trudeau2026climate, author = {Trudeau, Kaitlyn}, title = {{Climate Change Raises Rates of U.S. Emergency Room Visits For Heat Illness}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2026}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-briefings/august-2026}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }