No it means that this current heat wave is worse than it would have been absent climate change.
We’re getting out of town, heading up the coast (to Door County… yeah, not a real coast).
When we get back, I might start sleeping on the basement floor. I often do that in the summer.
I might actually have to work this weekend. If I do, it’s air conditioned.
My wife Pepper Mill hates our air conditioners, so we mainly use fans (which do a surprisingly good job of cooling down our bedroom – I can suck in cool air from the shaded side of the house), but for this weekend she was persuaded to let me haul up the air conditioners from downstairs and put one in the bedroom and one in the living room.
Couple of days ago we moved from very cold and wet Vic (Aus) to north-western Western Australia. Now technically it’s winter downunder, but the daily temps here are av 30c or 86f. Come summer the days will regularly hit 45+ (113f), and that is from Nov until April.
Thankfully the apartment we’ve leased has ducted air-con and that is fully paid from our rent, so no nasty power bills. The complex also has a pool with shade-sails so on the worst of days we can just hang out there until the sun goes down I guess.
MUCH better than the nasty frigid weather we left on Wednesday I tell ya. 
SE Michigan here. Saturday’s heat index is supposed to hit 108. Wife and I went grocery shopping yesterday afternoon, so we won’t even have to leave the house over the weekend. But we will probably go for a walk on Saturday morning, before it gets stupid-hot. After that, it’s indoor activities: workshop projects, computer stuff, etc.
I tend to cook out on the grill at least one night on the weekend during the summer months, but that’s not happening this weekend.
Apparently I spoke too soon… we’ve got a cold front showing up on Monday/Tuesday, and it’s supposed to drop our lows into the upper 60s, and we’ll have July highs below 90, along with the potential of rain!
Having daytime highs in the 80s in July is shockingly low… almost unheard of in my experience.
All I have to do is remember hiking through Horseshoe Canyon, in 123º heat. with very little shade.
When I water my lawn in the morning, I’m VERY popular with the birds.
Ex-Giants offensive lineman Mitch Petrus dies of heat stroke:
Be careful, folks.
It’s hot enough that Ms. P would probably turn on the AC even if the kids and I weren’t here. Now that’s hot. We’ve got a sweltering three days, followed by several days with highs in the eighties. I’m being careful about taking our old dog out. She doesn’t seem to mind staying in more than usual.
I probably won’t mow my lawn, even though it needs it.
I probably WILL stay indoors, with AC.
I’ve had a fine time outdoors for hours in sub-freezing weather. I enjoy skiing, for instance. I’m not going to enjoy any time spent outdoors this weekend.
I had the central A/C serviced and just installed a mini-split A/C in the newly built sunroom. In past heat waves, the central A/C has been inadequate but I am hoping the mini-split will be more effective.
Since my fridge doesn’t have an ice maker, I bought this nice little portable unit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PHXLT17 so I can guzzle iced coffee and iced tea.
More pet stuff: The OTHER five-second rule. Put the back of your hand against a surface. If it’s so hot you can’t hold it there for five seconds, it’s too hot for your dog to walk on. (Or cat, in case anyone is walking cats…ferrets, tigers. Any pet with pads on its feet.)
Now I wasn’t going to continue this hijack but:
Sure that is probably what it means. That is not what it says. Literally. If the writer had written: “This heat wave is the first of many to come attributed to global climate change” I would have no quibble. Like, “It is a bad heat wave. It’s because of climate change that it’s a bad heat wave. Without climate change it wouldn’t have been as [hot/long].”
Darn, missed the edit but not by much. Just to note, right before composing the above post I hung sheets on my clothesline. The pillowcases and flat sheet are now dry. The fitted sheet will be dry in about five more minutes. My heat wave is forecast to be over tomorrow, and I am enjoying the hell out of it while it lasts.
grew up in lovely southern tier Western NY state sledding out of the third floor attic windows in the winter. Not a problem. I had spent many many many enjoyable days in weather that cold and occasionally in different parts of the country colder, and even winter camped in ‘primitive’ conditions [snow tunnel camping and an occasional igloo]
What I hate is heat … you can only get so naked before you start either being arrested for indecent exposure or peeling off layers of skin and muscle. I really really hate sweaty hot skin on skin contact, sweat trickling down my back, between my breasts and down my buttcrack.
Unfortunately we have errands that need to be done tomorrow, but as soon as we get home it will be cold shower time. Got cold foods ready [Russian Salad, makings for Cobb Salad, leftover fried chicken, sandwich makings]
I’ve done that plenty of times, it’s a little activity called Alpine Skiing 
Back in my college days (late ‘90s ) we were skiing at Crotched Mountain NH, a little local ski slope that was under 2,000’ vertical (very small mountain), the STILL air temperature at the summit was -52 Farenheit! it was GREAT, we basically had the whole mountain to ourselves for the entire day and into the evening (as they had night skiing as well), we were completely bundled up, had no skin showing (frostbite would set in in less than 5 minutes at that temperature), and we had a great time, were very warm and comfy
back around 2004-2006 when I lived in Vermont, one winter season we had a MONTH where the still air temps never got above -30 F, once again, as long as you were properly bundled up, no big deal.
extreme cold is no biggie as long as you’re prepared.
Like the man said, this was poorly phrased. But in fact, what may have been the intended phrasing, that climate change has made this heat wave worse than it otherwise would have been, is not accurate either, since that’s not provable and may not necessarily be true.
The accurate statement is neither of those, but rather the scientifically supportable statement that certain extreme weather events, such as extreme heat waves, more energetic storms, and stronger storm surges, are becoming statistically more and more probable due to climate change. The balance of what is “normal” is gradually shifting, and that’s the real point.
We just returned from pontooning the Allegheny River. It was hot, but no different really than any other July/August day. The dogs and my gf enjoyed swimming, and I got raised eyebrows for not swimming. I love being on the water, but almost never go in the water.
Just wanted to report that it worked. Heat index at home was over 100, but we drove a couple of hours and suddenly it was almost 30º degrees cooler with a cold breeze.
The trick is, we were surrounded by water (Door County is the little pinkie hanging off Wisconsin into Lake Michigan).
That’s a trick I use as well. I take the boat out on hot days. I claim it’s always 10 degrees cooler on the water.
I have to eat some of my earlier scoffing words about the heat being no big deal. We moved one of my kids yesterday (via pickup and Uhaul trailer). I had to stop repeatedly and get inside to cool off. It was 98 (on my house thermometer) when we were unloading. I guess it’s a bigger deal for me in my 60s than in my 40s or 50s.