the.com/heat wave
A period of unusually hot weather that can strain health, infrastructure, and daily life.
means A spell of unusually hot weather lasting several days or more, often intense enough to disrupt daily life and strain health.
from A straightforward compound: 'heat' plus 'wave,' using 'wave' in the sense of a surge or swell moving through something — the same sense as in 'crime wave' or 'wave of enthusiasm.' The phrase emerged in English in the 19th century as a plain, descriptive way to talk about a spreading surge of hot conditions, no fancier than calling a cold snap a cold snap.
- definition
- three-plus days of abnormally hot weather in a row
- silent killer
- kills more americans yearly than any other weather event
- cities worse
- asphalt and concrete trap heat, cities roast hotter than suburbs
- frequency rising
- us heat waves now average six per year, up from two