Heat Wave Safety  |  Prevention  |  Dos and Don'ts  |  Treatment

Be Red Cross Ready - Heat Wave Safety Checklist [PDF] Buy a pack of 50 safety tip tearsheets here. Great for work or school!

In recent years, excessive heat has caused more deaths than all other weather evets, including floods. A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessive heat, often combined with excessive humidity. Generally temperatures are 10 degrees or more above the average high temperature for the region during summer months, last for a long period of time and occur with high humidity as well.

View a checklist for heat wave safety here.

Know these terms:

Heat wave: Prolonged period of excessive heat and humidity, which is more than 48 hours of excessive heat (90oF or higher) and high humidity (80 percent relative humidity or higher).

Heat index: A number in Fahrenheit (F) degrees that indicates how hot it feels when relative humidity is added to the air temperature. Exposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index by 15 degrees.