Talk:Heat wave

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Why are there heatwaves for years beyond 2006? Begreen 19:42, 25 March 2006 (UTC)

Some believe Global warming is the reason for the current heat wave, future heat waves. Martial Law 19:02, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Current Heat Wave

Can someone state that the 2006 Heat Wave is going on right NOW

in the United States ? Sources are the two weather sites, FOX News, CNN, other news sources. I heard that fatalities have happened already. Martial Law 04:25, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

I cannot confirm the fatality reports. Martial Law 04:27, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

I haven't heard of a great deal of fatalities yet. It isn't exactly article-worthy at this point anyway - they need to often last weeks, not days, to raise the fatality rates and smash the records. Though a new wave could be building in this weekend... CrazyC83 19:45, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

The FOX News, other news agencies, the two weather websites have actually declared that there are heat warnings and heat advisories being issued, now for nearly all of the U.S. Martial Law 21:12, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Heat wave Europe

This morning it has been confirmed that 2006 has its second heat wave in The Netherlands. This one is forecast to last at least another week, maybe even 10 days more. It also confirms that there are heat waves in France, Spain and Portugal. The last two countries are warning of extreme temperatures. http://www.knmi.nl/VinkCMS/news_detail.jsp?id=33185 (In Dutch)

The BBC and the British meterological office also speak of a heat wave in the UK. The met office has issued heat warnings to the National Health Service. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5193486.stm Bikerams 08:56, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

- Heat wave in parts of USA, most parts of Europe (UK, Benelux, Spain, Germany) and for what i've read also in Australia. Suggestion: create an article '2006 World Heat Wave?' Marminnetje 14:44, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Physical damage

Several areas are reporting that the current heat wave has caused all manner of damage. In Shreveport, LA, it has caused water mains and lines to burst, and in other areas, it has caused roads to serverely buckle and crack. A Satellite link error is fouling my sig and causing me to log out automatically, so, please excuse the sig. If you live in a area affected by this heat wave, your news source will have more info. Martial Law 19:00, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] United States definition

I have found three sources (all .pdf city emergency/hazard plans) which refer to the "3 or more consecutive days above 90°F" stipulation as an official National Weather Service definition, or imply it due to other sections which refer to it[1](page 33),[2](down right now),[3](page 40); however, I can't find that specific definition anywhere on the NWS website, so either they're hiding it, or, more likely, the definition was discontinued recently (recently enough that countless media outlets referred to it this summer). Can anyone add? i have a heat wave in my ass


FWIW, whenever I do various Google searches, I find the statement in one-time NWS statements...example, as of the current time Mapsax 21:47, 8 August 2006 (UTC)ther is a big heat wave in the desert

[edit] Cause?

I looked and didn't find that the article gave a cause for heat waves. Does anyone know what is the cause? I know that global warming is said to be part of the cause, but what is the full cause? --Meraculas 20:54, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

I have now inserted what I know and what I have found about heat waves and the reasons that they happen. It is suprisingly difficult to find the information. I had to put a collection of different reasons to which they occur together from all the different causes I know of. This is because there is not one single cause. Heat waves are caused by many factors. --84.65.94.156 12:15, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Definition

A peer-reviewed definition from the Glossary of Meteorology:

heat wave—(Also called hot wave, warm wave.) A period of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and usually humid weather.
To be a heat wave such a period should last at least one day, but conventionally it lasts from several days to several weeks. In 1900, A. T. Burrows more rigidly defined a “hot wave” as a spell of three or more days on each of which the maximum shade temperature reaches or exceeds 90°F. More realistically, the comfort criteria for any one region are dependent upon the normal conditions of that region. In the eastern United States, heat waves generally build up with southerly winds on the western flank of an anticyclone centered over the southeastern states, the air being warmed by passage over a land surface heated by the sun. See also hot wind.

Evolauxia 21:22, 4 June 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Fatalities

I have read that cold temperature extremes cause more deaths on average in the United States than heat waves. This article says the opposite. So I guess someone needs to find the source for that.

--75.28.95.173 02:52, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Risk of death

A meta-analysis has looked at the risk of death and factors that may improve or worsen the risk: doi:10.1001/archinte.167.20.ira70009 JFW | T@lk 21:30, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Limited Scope and Biased

I think the incidents etc are very biased in the sense that they present primarily a European/American/Australian definition of a heat wave. The temperatures mentioned are very much common in countries like India and major parts of Africa. A four day stretch of 40 C+ temperatures is normal. In fact places like Ahmedabad in western India are known to have the high temperature for the whole month of April and May above 40 C. The page on Geography of Ahmedabad can be used of reference which shows that temperatures remains in the 40's throughout the months of March to June.

A more thorough research of the weather records is required for this article to be complete and exhaustive.

[edit] Possible Heatwave

There may be a possible Hemispheric Heatwave soon. A good example is what happened in 2006 in BOTH Europe, North America, Asia when heat waves struck at the same time thus qualifying that one to be a "Hemispheric Heat wave" since the Northern Hemisphere was affected. 205.240.146.121 (talk) 16:57, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] 2008 Heat Wave/ 2008 Heat Storm

This just started in the Southern US. Temps are in the high 90s, humidity is in the 40-50+% range, heat index is in the 100s. Affected areas are Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma to the Atlantic Ocean and to the Gulf of Mexico. 65.163.115.204 (talk) 20:53, 6 June 2008 (UTC)