Hot summers are nothing new for much of the United States, but the combination of heat and humidity has taken on a truly antagonistic role this year, pushing us closer to our melting points in an already uncomfortable season.

Dew point temperatures – a measure of how much moisture is in the air – have soared to sauna-like highs over and over. It’s another way a climate heating up from fossil fuel pollution is changing summer as we know it.

A warm atmosphere soaks up water like a sponge, driving both air and dew point temperatures higher than they’d be in a cooler world. “Summertime heat that’s being boosted by climate change is now also getting this extra piece,” said Shel Winkley, a meteorologist with the non-profit research group Climate Central. “It’s like a one-two punch.”

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