PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 New research suggests Arizona\u2019s dry heat is deadlier than many think, and more deadly heat waves may be on the way.<\/p>\n
Scientists have long used a humidity-heavy formula to identify the world\u2019s deadliest heat waves, but this study says that formula may be dangerously overlooking dry climates like Phoenix.<\/p>\n
Jennifer Vanos, an associate professor at Arizona State University\u2019s School of Sustainability, who co-authored the research<\/a> published on Nature Communications<\/a>, examined six heat waves across the globe, including Phoenix\u2019s summer of 2023<\/a>, which shattered heat and death records across the Valley<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dry heat proves just as dangerous<\/p>\n \u201cWe can say that extremely hot and dry conditions are found to be just as deadly as hot and humid conditions, but for very different reasons,\u201d Vanos said.<\/p>\n Vanos said scientists have long relied on a metric called wet-bulb temperature<\/a> to flag deadly heat. That metric heavily weighs humidity, but can miss how dangerous dry climates truly are.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were able to show the deadliness of the Phoenix heat wave that other models might not pick up because they\u2019re not focused on the dangerousness of the dry conditions, and how the human body responds to that,\u201d Vanos said.<\/p>\n Dan, who lives in Phoenix, is a Southern California native and says adjusting to Arizona\u2019s heat took time.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d rather have a dry heat than humid,\u201d he said. \u201cLess sweat.\u201d<\/p>\n Heat safety recommendations<\/p>\n Vanos said shade and even misters can make a big difference in dry-heat cities like Phoenix<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s super important to respect the heat and understand that heat affects everyone differently for different reasons,\u201d Vanos said.<\/p>\n Vanos said every person reacts differently to different kinds of heat. With summer here, she recommends people check in on friends, family and neighbors to make sure everyone stays safe.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n