BETHESDA, Md. (FOX 5 DC) – It hasn’t just been hot outside this summer; it’s been dangerously hot. So much so, that Maryland hospitals have seen a record number of patients.

“As the planet warms, as Maryland warms, we’ve been increasingly concerned about ensuring that people are prepared for what we know are going to be longer, hotter summers,” explained Dr. Clifford Mitchell, director of the Environmental Health Bureau at the Maryland Department of Health.

So far this summer, there have been 14 heat-related deaths in Maryland, according to data published by the state. 

Also, there have been nearly 1,000 hospital visits due to heat-related illnesses so far this year. That’s significant because it’s already the most since 2019, when the state began publishing that statistic, and there is still plenty of summer left to go.

“It’s happening earlier every year, and the hotter days are hotter, and they are staying hotter longer,” Mitchell said of the heat. “We continue to be very concerned about ensuring that we get the message out because these deaths are all preventable.”

Mitchell also told FOX 5 that while dealing with extreme heat during the day is bad enough, now it’s also not cooling off as much at night, making matters even worse.