Extreme heat warning on a highway street sign

  • Extreme Heat by Chris Yarzab. Used via CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.

    • Hazard

    Extreme Heat

    A heat wave is a period of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and unusually humid weather, typically lasting two or more days with temperatures above the historical averages for a given area.

    Read Full Summary

    Related Case Studies & Action Plans

    smoke clouds over a forest

  • Photo attributed to USWS Souteast Region. This work is in the public domain. No endorsement implied.

    • Implementing Interventions for Heat-related Illness and Wildfire Smoke Exposure in North Carolina
    polar bear walking

  • Photo attributed to Ansgar Walk. Incorporated here under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. No endorsement by licensor implied.

    • Polar Bear Designation Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
    lakeshore with trees

  • Photo attributed to CeciliaPang. This work has been released into the public domain by its author. No endorsement by licensor implied.

    • Addressing Climate Change Impacts in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
    "climate ready great lakes" graphic showing aerial video of city, tree planters, and bikers

  • Screenshot from the Climate Ready Great Lakes training series.

    • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Climate Initiatives
    Browse Case Studies
    Related Terms
    Heat Wave
    Browse all hazards