Relentless heat bakes several parts of the planet

Scorching temperatures have put millions of Americans in danger this summer with heat extremes stretching from one end of the country to the other.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says more than 5,000 heat records have been broken or tied in the country over the last 30 days. And now the heatwave that’s baked the Southwest is spreading to the Midwest and Northeast.

Several countries in Europe are also in the midst of heatwaves. Greece, Spain, Italy and France have all seen blistering temperatures and several heat records broken.

Is this an anomaly or just the way that summer will look now?

A study released this week from the World Weather Attribution network, a coalition of international scientists, said the protracted heat waves are “virtually impossible” without climate change.

We look at how climate change is affecting temperatures across the U.S. and ask what type of relief mitigation efforts might provide.