100+ Million Americans Will Live in ‘Extreme Heat Belt’ by 2053, Researchers Find

After the U.S. has baked in record heat waves this year, it seems even hotter weather is set to consume huge tracts of the country in the coming decades. More than 100 million Americans will live in an “extreme heat belt” by 2053, according to climate-risk nonprofit First Street Foundation. At least one day every year, areas in the belt will endure temperatures over 125 F, which is within the extreme danger level of the National Weather Service’s heat index. The huge area that will be affected runs from Texas to Wisconsin and also includes the Southeastern U.S. While the regions in the belt aren’t normally considered the hottest parts of the U.S., there are “no coastal influences to mitigate extreme temperatures,” the researchers’ report explains, adding that many communities hit “are not acclimated to warmer weather relative to their normal climate.” The most extreme heat increase is predicted to come in the Miami-Dade County area of Florida, where the hottest days (currently reaching around 103 F) will jump in frequency from seven days a year to 34 by 2053.