AUSTIN, Texas — “Exceptionally dangerous” is how high this week’s temperatures could climb. The early onset of July and August-like temperatures means people’s bodies have not had time to adjust to summer’s sweltering heat. To deal with what is expected to be a higher-than-ever demand at cooling centers, the City of Austin is working to open additional sites later this year.
This past winter is a good example of the climate extremes the City of Austin is dealing with. In previous years, cold weather shelters needed to be open an average of 12 nights each winter. Last winter, they were open for over twenty.
“Every time we have the first couple of days of intense heat in the city, we see more people develop symptoms of heat-related illness,” said Captain Christa Steadman with Austin/Travis County EMS…