From the Archives: Looking back at ‘heat waves’

The term “heat wave” first appeared in the Herald on June 9, 1885. That’s what our archives tell as this summer turns up to boiling temperature.

The term again popped up on July 22, 1886, and July 17, 1894, and July 27, 1894. I’m sure it kept on going after that too.

The term has stuck like your shirt does on a day like today. Here’s all those clips from way back when:

HERALD -June 9, 1885

HERALD_July 17, 1894

HERALD_July 22, 1886

HERALD_July 27, 1894

Here’s an item plucked off the AP wire today:

Death Valley hit a temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.3 degrees Celsius) on July 16, 2023 – not quite the world’s hottest day on record, but close. Phoenix broke a record heat streak with 19 straight days with temperatures above 110 F (43.3 C), accompanied by a long string of nights that never got below 90 F (32.2 C), leaving little opportunity for people without air conditioning to cool down. Globally, Earth likely had its hottest week on modern record in early July.

Heat waves are becoming supercharged as the climate changes – lasting longer, becoming more frequent and getting just plain hotter.