But the break in the heat also brought severe storms to some areas.

CNN: Past 12 months warmest ever recorded in United States

It is reached when heat is so severe that illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups.

BBC: Storms lash UK while SE sizzles

Three years later during STS-27, Atlantis' heat shield sustained severe damage from a piece of insulation that broke off of the right solid rocket booster during launch.

ENGADGET: Space Shuttle Atlantis ends its run of predicting disaster for other NASA shuttles

Parts of northern India, including the capital Delhi, have been in the grip of intense heat and there have been severe water shortages as the rains are late.

BBC: India monsoon rains shortfall 'not serious'

Other key fracking areas like New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio are less obviously prone to drought, but climate models predict more frequent and longer heat waves during Northeast and Midwest summers, including severe drought in some regions (as well as more frequent flooding in spring).

FORBES: Can No-Water Fracking Quiet Critics?

If the body continues to lose heat, this mild form of hypothermia morphs into a moderate and then severe form of hypothermia.

FORBES: Magazine Article

What health scientists are telling us is that climate change will bring increased asthma, more virulent allergens, medical emergencies from heat stress, the spread of water- and vector-borne diseases and increased severe weather events.

FORBES: What does Climate Change Have to Do With Health Care?