Heat Waves

 

A heat waves is an extended interval of abnormally hot and usually humid weather, usually lasting from a few days to over a week.
Heat waves form when an air mass becomes stationary over a region. Hot humid air masses form over the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea while hot dry air masses form over the desert Southwest and northern Mexico. In the Eastern United States a heat wave occurs when a high pressure system originating in the Gulf of Mexico becomes stationary just off the Atlantic Seaboard (typically known as a Bermuda High.) The SW winds on the back side of the High continue to pump hot, humid Gulf air North-eastward resulting in a spell of hot and humid weather for much of the Eastern States.

Heat Waves are dangerous because heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In a normal year, about 175 Americans succumb to the demands of summer heat. Among the large continental family of natural hazards, only the cold of winter - not lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or earthquakes - takes a greater toll. In the 40-year period from 1936 through 1975, nearly 20,000 people were killed in the United States by the effects of heat and solar radiation. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died. The July 1995 heat wave caused more than 1,000 heat-related deaths across the Midwest and East Coast. And these are the direct casualties. No one can know how many more deaths are advanced by heat wave weather - how many diseased or aging hearts surrender that under better conditions would have continued functioning.

A heat advisory is issued when the heat, or combination of heat and humidity, is expected to become an inconvenience for much of the population, and a problem for some.


An excessive heat warning is issued when the heat, or combination of heat and humidity, is expected to be dangerous for a large portion of the population.

The heat index is the number in degrees Fahrenheit that tells how hot it really feels when relative humidity is added to the actual air temperature. Exposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index by 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

130 degrees or higher:	heatstroke/sunstroke highly likely with continued
105 - 130 degrees:	sunstroke, heat cramps or heat exhaustion likely with prolonged exposure.
90 - 105 degrees:	sunstroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity.
80 - 90 degrees:	fatigue possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity.

My Thoughts
Heat waves are scary because to me they seem kinda like global warming. Heat waves can kill people and so will global warming. My sister tells me that she kinda hates the summer because of how hot it can get sometimes and she thinks it's global warming and it would be a bad way to die.
Winter kinds sucks cause it's too cold but it's also not fun when it's too hot during the summer that you can't do anything because you feel to lazy or the sun is to hot and makes you tired.
I'd rather be hot then cold because there's actually no snow around and we can do things even if it's to hot. There's things to protect us from the sun like shade, sunscreen, cold water (swimming) and there's no snow and there's no school. Snow sometimes just isn't fun unless the sun's shining and it's nice out or when they snow is melting and spring is almost near.