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A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by excessive humidity. The term is relative to the usual weather in the area. Therefore, temperatures that people from a hotter climate consider normal can be termed a heat wave in a cooler area if they are outside the normal pattern for that area. The term is applied both to routine weather variations and to extraordinary spells of heat which may occur only once a century.
In temperate climates, a heat wave is defined as at least three consecutive days with temperatures of 30 °C (86 °F) or more. However, in countries such as Australia where 30 °C is considered mild on a summer day, heatwaves are far more dangerous.
Some regions of the globe are more susceptible to heat waves than others, such Mediterranean-type climates with a summer dry spell which becomes much hotter than usual on certain years.
Severe heat waves can lead to deaths from hyperthermia, especially among elderly people. If accompanied by drought which dries out vegetation, heat waves can lead to wildfires.
A severe heat wave in 2003 killed tens of thousands in Europe; much of the heat was concentrated in France, where nearly 20,000 people died.
Most recently, in early 2006, Adelaide, South Australia was hit by a heat wave with temperatures ranging 40+ °C for five days in a row, while Port Augusta experienced temperatures hovering around about mid 40s °C with one day recorded at approx 48 °C.
The world record for the longest heatwave belongs to Marble Bar, Western Australia where the temperature, measured under standard exposure conditions, reached or exceeded 37.8 °C (or, a century on the old scale used at the time of 100 °F) every day from 31 October 1923 to 7 April 1924, a total of 160 days.
Heat waves are the most lethal type of weather phenomenon, overall.
Major Heat Waves
- Heat Wave of 1936
- Indian heat wave
- British Heat Wave of 1976
- United States Heat Wave of 1980
- Chicago Heat Wave of 1995
- Eastern US Heat Wave of 2001
- European Heat Wave of 2003
- Desert Southwest Heat Wave of 2005
- Australian Heatwave of 2006
- Venezuela Heatwave of 1992
- 2006 Heat Wave: United States. This is ongoing current event.
See also
External links
- FEMA: Extreme Heat
- Hot Weather Tips
- Marble Bar heatwave, 1923-1924
- www.weather.com
- www.accuweather.com
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"Heat wave"