Watch out for the ‘extreme heat belt’ developing across the central US

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Millions of Americans will be subject to dangerously hot days over the next 30 years as a result of an "extreme heat belt" that stretches across the center of the country. New research published by the First Street Foundation shows that.

The belt is going to go from Texas to Wisconsin. The temperatures along the belt feel hotter than 125 degrees.

The number of Americans who will experience extreme heat at least one day a year by 2053 will be around 108.6 million. According to First Street, just 8.1 million people in 50 counties can expect to suffer through such high temperatures in 2023.

Matthew Eby, founder and CEO of First Street Foundation, said in a press release that a quarter of the country will fall inside the Extreme Heat Belt.

A heat index is a measurement of heat and humidity. What the temperature feels like is what it is referred to as. The National Weather Service's highest heat index category is "extreme danger", when the temperature is 125 degrees or higher.

Image: First Street Foundation

The research warns that even if you don't live in the heat belt, you can expect temperatures to rise higher than in the past. The report says that most of the country is at increased risk of heat exposure. Climate change is pushing the weather to extremes around the globe.

You can zoom in to see how your home might change in the future. Plug your address into the search tool. The location is expected to have more hot days in the next 30 years. I searched for my childhood home in Southern California and found that it could see 11 days a year with a heat index over 99 degrees. When you use the Risk Factor tool, you will see wildfire and flood risk.

Researchers looked at the heat index for the seven hottest days this year to figure out how much each location will bake in the future. The model was built using federal government data and other publicly available information.

Miami-Dade County in Florida is expected to see the biggest increase in the number of hot days. During the seven hottest days of the year, the heat index here is over 100 degrees. According to First Street, more than 30 days a year would feel like that.