In the extreme heat, it feels like being cooked

A person sleeping outside in the shade in Phoenix, Arizona. It is cooler outdoors than indoors, when temperatures are sizzling. Photos: Getty Images via AFP

Temperatures have peaked at or above 110°F (43.3°C) this month in Phoenix, Arizona, the United States. Air conditioning, which made modern Phoenix even possible, is a lifeline.

When a cloudless sky combines with outdoor temperatures over 100°F (37.7°F), your house turns into an “air fryer” or “broiler”, as the roof absorbs powerful heat and radiates it downwards, said Jonathan Bean, co-director of the Institute for Energy Solutions at the University of Arizona. Bean knows this not only from his research, he also experienced it firsthand on a recent weekend when his air conditioner broke.