El Paso sits on the far west corner of Texas, across the border from Mexico. The city has 890,000 residents, and is one of the hottest cities in America. The average maximum temperature from the start of June through the end of August is just shy of 100 degrees F. That does not include the “heat index,” which makes the city feel hotter.
Last year, 39 deaths were directly or indirectly caused by heat. That was up from 26 in 2023. Climate scientists say the two years were the hottest on record.
The primary cause is what it is in all America’s hottest cities. Inside Climate News reports, “Climate change is increasing the risks of extreme heat. The average annual temperature in El Paso has increased 5.7 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970, according to the nonprofit Climate Central.”…