Hurricanes have names, heat waves should, too

[Still Waters]

For decades, meteorologists have named hurricanes and ranked them according to severity. Naming and categorizing heat waves too could increase public awareness of the extreme weather events and their dangers, contends a newly formed group that includes public health and climate experts. Developing such a system is one of the first priorities of the international coalition, called the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance.

Heat waves kill more people in the United States than any other weather-related disaster (SN: 4/3/18). Data from the National Weather Service show that from 1986 to 2019, there were 4,257 deaths as a result of heat. By comparison, there were fewer deaths by floods (2,907), tornadoes (2,203) or hurricanes (1,405) over the same period.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/hurricanes-names-heat-waves-climate-health

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/coalition-calls-naming-heat-waves-hurricanes-180975586/

[+Desertrat56]

We could name this year's heat wave Covid-1 

[LV-426]

I have a few names for the heat waves that hit the north of England in homes with no air conditioning in recent years - who needs that fancy tech up here, right? - but none of them are repeatable in front of delicate ears

[XenoFish]

44 minutes ago, Desertrat56 said:

We could name this year's heat wave Covid-1 

I was thinking Satan's Breath.

[+Desertrat56]

Just now, XenoFish said:

I was thinking Satan's Breath.

We might need to save that for a future year, as things seem to be getting hotter every year. 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Desertrat56

[XenoFish]

38 minutes ago, Desertrat56 said:

We might need to save that for a future year, as things seem to be getting hotter every year. 

How about Satan's Colon? 

[spartan max2]

Can we name them after ancient myths and gods.

Much cooler then how we do hurricanes. 

[jethrofloyd]

We can name the next big heat wave......Hephaestus. He was the Greek god of fire.

[+and-then]

1 hour ago, LV-426 said:

I have a few names for the heat waves that hit the north of England in homes with no air conditioning in recent years - who needs that fancy tech up here, right? - but none of them are repeatable in front of delicate ears

I've had a few laughs at some of my fellow Americans when they complain about temperatures in the 80s, as if they are suffering from terrible heat.  I live about 10 miles as the crow flies from the Gulf of Mexico in south Alabama and a typical summer day from June to August - and sometimes into September - is about 90 - 95 degrees.  And that comes with 70+ percent humidity. 

I have to remember that it isn't about the actual temperature as much as it's about the temperature folks are acclimated to.  If the tables were turned and I was in Pennsylvania during the winter, I suspect they'd get the last laugh at the southern boy   

[spartan max2]

6 minutes ago, and then said:

I've had a few laughs at some of my fellow Americans when they complain about temperatures in the 80s, as if they are suffering from terrible heat.  I live about 10 miles as the crow flies from the Gulf of Mexico in south Alabama and a typical summer day from June to August - and sometimes into September - is about 90 - 95 degrees.  And that comes with 70+ percent humidity. 

I have to remember that it isn't about the actual temperature as much as it's about the temperature folks are acclimated to.  If the tables were turned and I was in Pennsylvania during the winter, I suspect they'd get the last laugh at the southern boy   

This sounds horrible to me  lol

[LV-426]

4 minutes ago, and then said:

I've had a few laughs at some of my fellow Americans when they complain about temperatures in the 80s, as if they are suffering from terrible heat.  I live about 10 miles as the crow flies from the Gulf of Mexico in south Alabama and a typical summer day from June to August - and sometimes into September - is about 90 - 95 degrees.  And that comes with 70+ percent humidity. 

I have to remember that it isn't about the actual temperature as much as it's about the temperature folks are acclimated to.  If the tables were turned and I was in Pennsylvania during the winter, I suspect they'd get the last laugh at the southern boy   

 

If it isn't cold enough for my limbs to be a pale shade of blue, I consider it a heat wave in this part of the world

[+Desertrat56]

13 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

This sounds horrible to me  lol

The humidity at those temperatures IS horrible, but 108 in humidity of 25% (higher than average here) is just as bad.  And Dallas, oh my!  105 degrees in July with 80% humidity.  (but the midwesterners say "it is a dry heat"  ) Try that one.

Edited August 19, 2020 by Desertrat56

[spartan max2]

2 minutes ago, Desertrat56 said:

The humidity at those temperatures IS horrible, but 108 in humidity of 25% (higher than average here) is just as bad.  And Dallas, oh my!  105 degrees in July with 80% humidity.  (but the midwesterners say "it is a dry heat"  ) Try that one.

As an Ohioan, yes, yes we do say that all the time lol.

[+Desertrat56]

Just now, spartan max2 said:

As an Ohioan, yes, yes we do say that all the time lol.

And you think 90 degrees at 90% is normal.  But in the winter, I would not want to be in Ohio or Chicago or anywhere north of the northern border of New Mexico.