Dangerous, potentially record-breaking heat will scorch portions of the Southwest and Plains through the weekend.

Most of the continental United States is facing elevated chances of well above average summer temperatures, according to the latest outlook from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

April 2016 was the warmest April on record for the globe, making it the 12th consecutive month that earth has recorded its warmest respective month on record. NOAA's global State of the Climate report released Wednesday found April's temperature over the Earth's surface was 1.10 degrees Celsius above the 20th century average. This crushed the previous warmest April set in 2010 by 0.28 degrees Celsius.

Michelle Hawkins of NOAA's National Weather Service shares tips for staying safe in extreme heat with The Weather Channel as the FEMA PrepareAthon's Extreme Heat Week begins. She discusses heat watches, warning, and advisories as well as tips for protecting vulnerable populations (including National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Where's Baby campaign) and signs and symptoms of heat stress. For more information on extreme heat and tools and trainings to reduce risk, visit the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) at http://climate.gov/nihhis.

On November 12, 2015, DfRR brought together an amazing group of speakers representing the broadest cross-section of professions involved in climate change to highlight both the short and long-term impacts of extreme heat and the risks we take if we fail to act. The committee organized panels and case studies in terms of scale, from the most global challenges to the most local opportunities. Conflicting and contrasting solutions were welcome, making for an oftentimes lively debate. The symposium also illuminated the unresolved and the yet-to-be-determined.