extreme heat

Starting Friday, the National Weather Service predicts a streak of several days above 90 degrees in Kansas City, and heavy humidity that will bring the heat index up to 106 degrees. It will also stay unusually hot even after the sun goes down.

The Kansas City region will see temperatures leap into the 90s on Friday, and stretching through next week. Whether you're going to the pool, walking your dog or working outside, try these 7 proven ways to stay cool and prevent heat-related illness while outside.

Kansas averages 25 dangerously hot days per year. That’s 10 more than it would in a world without climate change, according to the report.

About $378 million of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding remains to be distributed. Without federal staff, some experts and advocates worry that low-income customers won’t be able to pay for cooling as the months get hotter.

Kansas City has committed to planting 10,000 trees in three years. But the city's existing tree canopy is relatively old and under stress by climate change and other factors.

The Missouri Department of Corrections had a $14 million budget allocation to install air conditioning at one of its intake facilities. It will take years for the project to be completed.

A 15-year-old sophomore at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School collapsed and died during football practice this month. Similar tragedies have occurred repeatedly in several states.

Thirty-four Missouri residents — aged 11 months to 96 years — died last year due to heat-related illness, according to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services.

Much of Kansas City experiences some heat island effect. As global temperatures rise, Kansas City planners and environmental experts are trying harder to make these hot spots cooler. Plus: Missouri hasn't just outlawed abortion — it's also funding anti-abortion organizations that are working in neighboring states.

Nearly 75% of Kansas City, Missouri, residents live in a heat island where temperatures can be at least eight degrees higher on any given day. That presents serious health and energy concerns, but efforts to cool these areas down are gaining steam.

Heat kills more people every year than any other climate-driven disaster. But experts say hot temperatures are likely causing even more deaths than official numbers show.

More than 10,000 households around Kansas City lack access to any kind of air conditioning — and during the summer, many more struggle to afford their electric utility bills. Some programs around Kansas City are trying to help.