Las Vegas Nights Are Becoming Dangerously Hot

New York is known as the city that never sleeps, but extreme heat is making that title more accurate in Las Vegas. In an interactive story, the New York Times explores how temperatures at night aren't dropping as much in the past—during a record stretch in July, overnight temperatures remained in the 90s, notes NBC News—and why it's dangerous. "Everybody looks at the high temperatures, but the overnight lows kind of sneak up on you," meteorologist Matt Woods tells the Times.

• More concrete, more heat: Las Vegas is experiencing a heat island effect due to rapid population growth and development, coupled with rising temperatures. The population has exploded by more than 200% over a generation, while the number of "abnormally" hot nights has surged as well. Decades ago, only a few nights a year were above 79 degrees, but today, the number is north of 60. More people mean more houses, cars, and roads, which trap heat that is released into the night, making it 20-plus degrees warmer than the surrounding desert.
• The dangers: The heart is working overtime to cool us in the heat, but it typically gets a break at night when temperatures cool. The Times notes that studies in Asia found that deaths rose from 10% to 50% during hot nights.
• What can help: Measures to offset the heat island effect must "be radically embraced," warns University of Nevada professor Steffen Lehmann. This includes switching up how and where growth occurs, encouraging more native plants and trees, walkable neighborhoods, lighter surfaces, and buildings with improved insulation.

(Read the full story.)