California to Begin Ranking Heat Waves

California will become the first state in the nation to start ranking heat waves.

According to a report in USA Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law, and the state EPA has until Jan. 1, 2025, to formulate a system for ranking this type of weather event.

The USA Today report mentions the ranking system will take into consideration factors like the minimum and maximum temperatures, the duration of the heat wave, and the negative health effects.

“The heat wave ranking system would bolster existing heat warning systems by categorizing heat waves based on their human health impacts, said Kathy Baughman McLeod, director of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, in a statement from the California Department of Insurance.” 

McLeod added that this bill will prevent death from heat waves.

“People do not have to die from heat, and this groundbreaking legislation goes a long way toward protecting 40 million Californians.”

This move comes directly after a record breaking heat wave that swept through the state and much of the West Coast at the beginning of this month.

These types of extreme weather events are unavoidable thanks to the extreme population boom in California and across the world. 

Global warming is directly linked with human activity, and the increase in population fuels that phenomenon. Californians know this all too well, as extreme heat has brought droughts, wildfires, and power outages.

Hopefully this type of ranking system will increase public awareness and prevent injuries/deaths. It’s sadly necessary, as we only expect more extreme weather linked with overpopulation in the near future.