Ladd Keith, director of the Heat Resilience Initiative at the University of Arizona, told the BBC that other places, such as Phoenix, could appoint a heat officer, someone who oversees initiatives and handles communications between government offices.

“It’s incredibly important to hold someone responsible for the heat because the problem is, if it’s no one’s responsibility, no one is going to take care of the problem,” he says.

With coordination and communication, facilities like cooling centers can be created in other parts of the United States that are not accustomed to the scorching heat, Marlon says.

But that requires widespread recognition and understanding of how bad the heat can be and that it’s not temporary, experts say.

Heat waves have become more frequent, more intense and longer lasting due to human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed more than 1.1°C since the industrial age began and temperatures will continue to rise for some time even if governments around the world make big cuts in emissions.

It is also essential that cities and jurisdictions understand that heat is not only a health problem but also an infrastructure and economic problem, according to experts.

Roads will continue to buckle and flights will continue to be delayed due to extreme heat, Marlon warns.

But above all, Keith says, it’s imperative that people understand that this oppressive heat will continue.

“We need to stop planning for the historic heat we’ve experienced and start planning for the heat we’re going to experience in the next five to ten years,” he says.

“If people think it’s bad now, it will get hotter and it will stay hotter for longer. Records will be broken, you can almost guarantee, year after year around the world.”