National Weather Service and CDC Team Up to Monitor Dangerous Heat with HeatRisk Tool
The National Weather Service and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have joined forces to monitor the effects of increasing temperatures on our health through the HeatRisk Tool. This tool provides a seven-day heat forecast across the country, alerting individuals when temperatures may be harmful to their well-being.
The HeatRisk tool assigns risk levels ranging from 0 to 4, which are color-coded from green to magenta. At the lowest level of 0 or green, heat levels are minimal or non-existent. However, at the highest level of 4 or magenta, heat can be extremely dangerous for individuals, health systems, and heat-sensitive industries. The tool also offers guidance on local air quality and clinicians on how to protect those most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses such as pregnant women, children with asthma and individuals with cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Mallika Marshall is an Emmy award-winning journalist and physician who has been reporting on health issues for over two decades as a HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV. She is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and practices at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital where she currently treats patients with COVID-19. Dr. Marshall is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications, where she continues to share her insights on public health matters with viewers across the country.
