Extreme heat and mortality rates in Las Vegas, Nevada: inter-annual variations and thresholds

Abstract

Hourly temperature and dew point from Las Vegas were collected and used to estimate the heat index and excess heat factor. The indices were used with data of heat-related deaths to assess the effect of extreme heat on the population. The trends of the heat indices were analyzed for 2007–2016, and the correlation between heat wave episodes and the number of heat-related deaths was estimated. Both indices showed a clear increase over the last ten years in the severity and number of heat wave events per year. The number of heat wave episodes increased, while their duration decreased. The number of heat-related deaths was also found to increase, with 2016 having the highest number of heat-related deaths. For the period, 437 heat-related deaths were registered in Las Vegas. The most vulnerable subpopulation was people over 50 years old, for which 76% of the heat-related deaths were associated with preexisting heart disease.