Mong Bay, April 2025
In July 2024, a heat wave swept through the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. The surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 7.5 million people, is known for its mild weather. Only about half of the area’s homes have air-conditioning, according to 2023 census data, compared with more than 90% across the country.
So when coastal areas hit 32° Celsius (90° Fahrenheit) and inland communities breach 43°C (110°F), as they did in mid-2024, it tends to catch people off guard, especially those with few options to escape the high temperatures. But according to a new study, identifying the people most likely to be harmed by climate change, as well as the forces that trap them in places of high impact, poses real problems for countries, humanitarian groups and researchers.
