NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Hotter than red hot? There’s a new color-coded tool to grab people’s attention to warn them about dangerous heat.
The resources, developed jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include new color-coded heat forecasts and a public dashboard showing local heat risks and air quality levels.
Among the new tools is an experimental system from NOAA called “HeatRisk,” which provides a seven-day heat forecast for locations across the country. The numerical and color-coded scale shows users the potential dangers of heat and humidity in their area. The tools are part of a broader government initiative to better prepare the U.S. for heat waves-- which have been increasing in frequency, intensity and duration over the years.
The chart breaks down the intensity of heat in particular areas based on a color-coded scale of five different colors. Magenta is the worst and deadliest of the five heat threat categories. This would be used on a day without any affective cooling and with no overnight relief. It’s a step higher than red, considered a major risk, and could severely affect people with health issues. Orange is the moderate category that is meant to act as a warning to people to use cation outdoors. Yellow is a minor risk of heat. Green indicates little to no risk expected from heat.
Extreme heat is the number one weather-related killer in the world. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates more than 1,300 people die from heat-related causes every year in the United States. That number has more than doubled in the past five years. Heat-related deaths are especially common in elderly people, pregnant women, people with asthma, young children and individuals with certain underlying health conditions.
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