As extreme heat gets worse, it’s the vulnerable who suffer most

The heat rising off the searing sidewalks pierced through my sneakers as I knelt to speak to Jacob, a man living in a concrete drainage channel tucked behind an apartment building in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I was on assignment to cover a brutal heatwave that pushed Sin City to a deadly simmer, and I hit the shadeless streets – hot enough to cause second-degree burns in seconds – to hear from those most affected by the dangerous conditions. “I don’t remember the sun being so stinging hot,” he said slowly, shielding his eyes from the midday light sharply reflecting across the concrete cityscape. I agreed.

This June was the city’s hottest on record. In July, things got even worse with a record seven days at 115F (46C) or higher and the month set a new all-time high of 120F (49C). Nights offered little reprieve. Even after the sun had set while I was there in mid-July, temperatures refused to dip below 100F (37C).

As the Guardian’s extreme weather correspondent, it’s my job to report from the frontlines of disasters, telling stories that expose the climate crisis as it unfolds. The intensity, frequency and scale of these events are increasing, leaving the most vulnerable to disproportionately bear the brunt.

As our world warms, we march into uncharted territory. It’s already been a busy summer. More, after this week’s climate headlines.