Heat Waves

A heat wave is different depending on its location. According to the World Meteorological Organization a region is in a heat wave if it has more than 5 consecutive days of temperatures that are more than 9°F (5°C) above average. 

Heat waves have increased in frequency and duration in recent years. The summer 2011 North American heat wave brought record temperatures across the midwestern and eastern United States. Many states and localities broke records for temperatures and for days above 100°F. 

Heat waves are caused by a high pressure cell sitting over a region with no movement. Heat waves are difficult to define because they depend on deviations from normal conditions in a region.


Watch the following video. 

Source: Heat Waves and Droughts. Retrieved from http://www.ck12.org/earth-science/Heat-Waves-and-Droughts/lesson/Heat-Waves-and-Droughts/ on January 24, 2014. 
Last modified: Thursday, 16 February 2017, 2:24 PM