Nashville heat waves have gotten longer, more frequent

Data: EPA ; Note: Includes 50 most populated metros; New York City, Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver were excluded for incomplete data in this period; Chart: Axios Visuals

New data shows heat waves are happening more often and lasting longer in Nashville and nationwide.

Why it matters: Intense heat is dangerous and poses serious health risks .

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State of play: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data included in a wider new report on climate metrics tracked heat trends in the 50 largest U.S. metro areas.

How it works: The EPA tracked events of two or more consecutive days when daily, humidity-adjusted temps topped the 85th percentile of historical July-August temps in 1981-2010.

Zoom in: In Nashville, heat waves got nearly one day longer. On average, the number of heat waves in Nashville increased by three per year compared to the 1960s.

Full EPA analysis

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