Summer is officially here.
The Summer Solstice began on Thursday, June 20, 2024, but for many of us the hotter than normal temperatures would suggest The Old Farmer's Almanac is a bit late with its announcement.
Millions of Americans are battling a punishing heat dome that has settled over the northeastern United States creating the potential for record-breaking high temperatures this week that stretch from the Queen City in Cincinnati to Portland, Maine.
That puts some populations - households without air conditioning - at grave risk.
The Cincinnati Enquirer conducted an analysis of National Weather Service data and found that almost half the 3,142 people who died from heat-related ailments in the past 20 years died at home. Many people who die in heat waves lack air conditioning or have health problems that can be fatal in excessive heat, the Enquirer found.
