What Phoenix can teach the world about reducing heat deaths

This summer has been blisteringly hot across much of the US and Europe, with scientists warning that extreme temperatures are becoming the new normal. France saw over 2,000 excess deaths during a late June heatwave, while in England and Wales, an estimated 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes since May. In the US, at least 44 heat deaths were reported over the July 4 holiday weekend.

But one city has been tackling the problem for years. Phoenix, located in Maricopa County, Arizona, recorded 645 heat deaths in 2023, a peak that prompted policy changes. By 2025, that number dropped to 405, a decline many experts attribute to expanded cooling center hours (some open 24/7) and a program offering free air conditioning repairs or replacements to low-income residents and the homeless.

However, the trend may not hold. As of July 11 this year, Maricopa County reported 23 confirmed heat deaths, with 282 more under investigation—if confirmed, the count would surpass last year's. Ladd Keith, director of the Heat Resilience Initiative at the University of Arizona, stresses the importance of appointing a heat officer to oversee initiatives and coordinate across agencies. He and other experts argue that cities must plan for future heat, not past conditions, as climate change drives more frequent, intense, and longer heatwaves. Roads buckling and flight delays will continue, and only by taking heat as a serious infrastructure and economic issue can communities adapt.