Fast Facts for Kids
Heat Wave Facts for Kids

Heat Wave Facts for Kids

The topic of this web page is heat waves (extended period of hot temperatures) and contains 15 heat wave facts for kids. In addition to facts about heat waves, we provide you with some awesome pictures of heat wave conditions and alternate resources with information on heat waves. Our heat wave facts will help you learn about them, what causes a heat wave, the effects of a heat wave and several other heat wave facts.

Our facts about heat waves and other heat wave related data should help you understand the fundamentals of this extreme weather event. Start your research on heat waves by scrolling down and reading our 00 heat wave facts. Following those facts are heat wave related pictures and additional resources. We’re always looking to expand the below educational content on heat waves, if you have anything you can share or find inaccurate information, please contact us.

15 Heat Wave Facts For Kids

  1. A heat wave is weather event caused by above normal hot temperatures that lasts for more than 48 hours.
  2. When a heat wave occurs at the same time as a drought the risk of bushfires and wildfires increases dramatically.
  3. Heat waves can damage man-made infrastructure, roads can melt or buckle, water lines can burst, and power transformers can explode.
  4. Heat waves can put stress on the electrical grid due to heavy power usage for air condition. It’s common for power outages to occur during heat waves.
  5. The heat index (HI) is a scale used to combine the actual air temperature and relative humidity to identify what the “real feel” temperature is outside.
  6. For example, on the heat index if the outside temperature is 90 °F and the relative humidity is 85%, the real feel temperature would be 117 °F.
  7. Heat waves are the deadliest weather event in the United States.
  8. Between 1992 and 2001, around 2,190 deaths were a result of heat waves, more than any other extreme weather event in the United States.
  9. The 1995 Chicago heat wave was one of the deadliest heat waves in U.S. history. This heat wave only last five days, but killed an estimated 739 people in Chicago, IL alone.
  10. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) tracks and creates alerts for potential heat wave events.
  11. The NWS can issue one of four alerts for extreme hot temperatures: excessive heat outlook, heat advisory, excessive heat watch and excessive heat warning.
  12. The NWS issues an excessive heat advisory if the conditions are right to potentially produce a heat wave in the next three to seven days.
  13. The NWS issues a heat advisory when a heat wave is expected in the next 12 hours and will produce temperatures at or above 100 °F during the day and not drop below 75 °F at night for at least 48 hours.
  14. The NWS issues an excessive heat watch when in the next 24 to 72 hours a heat wave has the potential to produce temperatures at or above 105 °F during the day and not drop below 75 °F at night for at least 48 hours.
  15. The NWS issues an excessive heat warning when a heat wave will produce temperatures at or above 105 °F during the day and not drop below 75 °F at night for at least 48 hours.

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Heat Wave Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on heat waves. Below are three pictures of heat wave conditions. These pictures should help you better understand the deadly power of extreme and extended hot temperatures.

The glowing sun over a city during a heat wave.

A picture of the sun over a city during a heat wave.

Heat reflecting during a heat wave.

A picture of heat being reflected during a heat wave.

People packed at a beach during a heat wave.

A picture of people at the beach during a heat wave.

Heat Wave Resources

We hope you found the above heat wave facts, information, data, and pictures both fun and educational. You can continue to research heat waves using one of the below additional resources. They were chosen for their credibility and accuracy; you can trust their information when it comes to heat waves. Thank you for choosing Fast Facts for Kids.