In the unyielding heat of Morocco’s Middle Atlas, people sought relief by sleeping on rooftops. Hanna Ouhbour, however, stayed outside a hospital, waiting for her diabetic cousin in a room without air conditioning. On Wednesday, Beni Mellal’s main hospital reported 21 heat-related deaths as temperatures soared to 48.3 degrees Celsius (118.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in a region home to 575,000 people, most of whom lack air conditioning.

"We don't have money, and we don't have a choice," said Ouhbour, a 31-year-old unemployed woman from Kasba Tadla, a city even hotter and considered among the world's warmest. "The majority of the deaths were among people with chronic diseases and the elderly, as high temperatures worsened their health and led to their deaths," stated Kamal Elyansli, the regional director of health.

As the Earth experienced a week with four of the hottest days ever recorded, the world’s attention was on the global average temperature. The 17.16 degrees Celsius (62.8 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded on Monday doesn't reflect the oppressive heat and humidity felt in specific locations. These records are statistical, but people feel the tangible heat.

"We don't need scientists to tell us the temperature; our bodies tell us instantly," said Humayun Saeed, a 35-year-old fruit seller in Lahore, Pakistan, who visited the hospital twice in June due to heat stroke. "The situation is better now, but it was hard to work in May and June due to the heat wave. I might resume my morning walk in August when it gets cooler."

In Bucharest, Romania, Delia, a 38-year-old pregnant woman, felt drowsy in the daytime heat and considered sleeping in her car at night due to the lack of air conditioning. "I've noticed a significant increase in temperatures. Being pregnant made it even more noticeable," she said. "But everyone felt this."

Karin Bumbaco, Washington's deputy state climatologist, found her enthusiasm for weather dampened by consecutive days of abnormal heat in Seattle. "I love science and weather, but recent years have made the heat more miserable daily," she said. "I wasn't sleeping well without AC and watched the thermostat rise each morning."

Climate scientists, once focused on data, now felt the personal impact of climate change. "I've analyzed these numbers from my cool office, but now the heat affects me, causing sleepless nights," said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist in Pune, India. "My children come home exhausted from school. Last month, a colleague's mother died from heat stroke in north India."

Philip Mote, a climate scientist at Oregon State University, moved to the cooler Northwest from California’s Central Valley to escape the heat. "I quickly realized I didn't like a hot, dry climate," he said. However, the Northwest experienced severe fires in 2020 and a deadly heat wave in 2021, challenging its status as a climate haven. Temperatures reached 104 degrees (40 Celsius) in early July. Mote's rowing club chose to float down the river instead of practicing in the intense heat.

In Boise, Idaho, tubing in temperatures between 99 and 108 degrees Fahrenheit (37 to 42 degrees Celsius) has become so popular there are long waits to enter the water. "I think we've seen record numbers these last 10 days," said John Tullius, general manager for Boise River Raft & Tube, who is concerned about the toll on outdoor workers. He added shade structures, increased staff, and emphasized hydration for his team.

In Denver’s City Park, the swan-shaped pedal boat rentals saw fewer customers due to the heat. Employees, like 23-year-old Dominic Prado, found refuge in a small shack with a strong fan to stay cool. "We hide in our shack and use the fan to cool down," Prado said.