The devastating economic toll of severe heat waves

Western Europe is reeling from the hottest temperatures on record as a third of the U.S. buckles down for a heat wave of its own.

Disastrous heat waves are becoming increasingly more common with global warming — killing people, damaging infrastructure and straining energy supplies. A growing body of research shows that extreme heat has long-lasting effects not just on population health but on local economies. With climate change making heat waves more severe and more frequent, here are some of the effects of these temperature shocks.