100-Degree Heat Hits U.S.

The triple-digit temperatures blanketing many parts of the United States Wednesday are already taking a toll on young lives ¡ª two babies left in their parents' cars have died of the heat this week.

A 2-month-old boy in San Jose, Calif., died Tuesday, and a 19-month-old girl in Missouri died Monday after being left unattended in their parents' vehicles in the afternoon heat.

At least 21 children have died this year after being left in overheated cars.

The elderly are also vulnerable. Last weekend, 85-year-old Bernice Watts was found dead in her Oklahoma City home.

An average of 175 people a year succumb to summer heat, but in extremely warm years the number can be much greater. The heat wave of 1980 claimed more than 1,200 lives










People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/