Extreme heat is one of the deadliest climate hazards, but the risk is not fixed to the calendar. A guest post on Carbon Brief highlights how heat extremes are increasingly spilling beyond summer, 'creeping' into autumn and spring.
Central to the analysis is the point that no two heatwaves are the same. The timing of an extreme heat event shapes how dangerous it is, and heat that arrives outside the traditional summer window can catch communities, infrastructure, and health systems off guard.
The seasonal expansion of extreme heat suggests that heat risk should be viewed as a longer, less predictable season rather than a midsummer-only problem. Public health planning and resilience measures may need to shift accordingly.