Three clusters of NC counties face devastating drought conditions due to low rainfall since June. Forecast offers some hope for relief.

Everyone is feeling the heat this summer as daytime temperatures skyrocket with heat indexes in the triple digits and the nights stay warm. But heat isn’t evenly distributed across Charlotte’s urban heat island. For the first time, a group of volunteers are tracking down Charlotte’s hottest neighborhoods.

State regulators are in the process of hearing arguments for how and when wind energy comes to the Carolina coast. The state has three wind energy areas off the coast, but no active wind farms. Meanwhile, Virginia already has two spinning turbines.

State regulators ordered the utility to excavate the former coal ash pond and place the ash in an onsite, lined landfill. The utility has removed about one-fifth of the coal ash so far.

June marks the 13th consecutive month of global record-breaking high temperatures. In North Carolina, that’s led to severe drought conditions in many parts of the state.

WFAE climate reporter David Boraks hosts this one-hour special report that examines how climate change affects the Carolinas and how we're responding. We hear from scientists, farmers, policymakers and other experts, as well as from activists concerned with the inequities of climate change.