extreme heat

The nightly temperature reached 71 degrees Fahrenheit, one of only three nights in the city's climate record where the nighttime temperature rose above 70 degrees.

Extreme heat is forecast to stretch through the weekend in the Pacific Northwest and authorities are investigating whether triple-digit temperatures were to blame for the deaths of at least four people. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office said at least three people have died from suspected hyperthermia during the heat wave.

Temperatures are set to hit 100 degrees in Portland, Oregon. It's expected to be the hottest day of an unusually long heat wave for the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency for much of the state Tuesday morning. Forecasters have issued an excessive heat warning for parts of Oregon and Washington state.

A year ago, Washington state experienced a meteorological phenomenon known as a 'heat dome' that lasted for a week and killed hundreds across the region. Temps spiked as high as 110 degrees in Olympia and Quileute on the coast; SeaTac recorded an all-time high of 108. KNKX environment reporter Bellamy Pailthorp shares what public officials learned from this climate disaster.

The extreme heat in June left many people scrambling to purchase portable air conditioners. But energy efficiency experts have two words for anyone who isn’t in a huge hurry: heat pump.

KNKX reporters Lilly Ana Fowler and Bellamy Pailthorp wrapped up a three-part series this week called HEATED, which looked at the people who died and why and how King and Pierce counties can be better prepared for future heat waves. They share their personal takeaways from the project with KNKX's Kevin Kniestedt.

How do you prevent deadly heat events in urban areas? Leaders in Tacoma and King County and teams of volunteers are trying to increase the tree canopy and provide cooling shade while educating the public, tearing up asphalt and, in some cases, battling decades-old racism.

This summer's record high temperatures caught the Northwest off guard. People died on the job and in their homes and on the streets. Expert after expert told KNKX people will continue to die from conditions like this unless cities plan a lot better for extreme heat.

This summer, as a heat dome engulfed the Pacific Northwest, at least 138 people died in Washington state. KNKX sought to learn more about those who lost their lives, at least in part, because of the heat wave in those final days in June, which experts say would not have happened without climate change.

Update, 6:07 p.m. Thursday: Volunteers scrambled to hand out water, portable fans, popsicles and information about cooling shelters Thursday to homeless…