July 1757 heatwave-hottest summer in 500 years before 2003
1896 Eastern North America heatwave-killed more than 1,500 people in August 1896
1900-the first eight days of February 1900 were very hot in central Argentina. Temperatures hit 99 °F (37 °C) in a number of areas, including Buenos Aires and Rosario. The heat caused at least 478 deaths.
1911–The 1911 United Kingdom heat wave had temperatures at 97 °F (36 °C). The heat started in early July and didn't let up until September. But even then, temperatures were still 91 °F (33 °C). Temperatures higher than that were not recorded in the United Kingdom until 1990.
1913–The hottest heat wave ever struck California. During the heat wave, Death Valley recorded a record high temperature of 134 °F (57 °C). It was the hottest temperature on Earth.[1]
1930 to 1939–Almost every year had strong heat and droughts somewhere in North America as part of the Dust Bowl.
1936–The 1936 North American heat wave-preceded by the 1936 North American cold wave-as part of the Dust Bowl. Many states recorded record heat and drought. Similar heat waves happened during 1934. In 1936, more than 5,000 people died due to the heat.
1951–2000
1950s–Extended severe drought and heat happened in the 1950s in the central and Southern United States. Every year between 1952 and 1957 had major heat waves in North America. In many areas it was drier than during the Dust Bowl years. The heat was especially severe in 1954; twenty-two days of temperatures 100 °F (38 °C) and higher covered eleven U.S. states. At East St. Louis, Illinois on July 14, the temperature hit 117 °F (47 °C). This was the record highest temperature in Illinois.[2]
1955–The 1955 United Kingdom heat wave was a period of hot weather. In some places, it was the worst drought on record.
1972–Heat wave of 1972 hit New York state and the Northeastern United States. It was significant. There were almost 900 deaths from this heat. The heat lasted almost 16 days. It was made worse by extremely high humidity levels.
1976–The 1976 British Isles heat wave was one of the hottest in living memory. It was marked by constant blue skies from May to September. In September, dramatic thunderstorms marked the end of the heat wave.
1980–The 1980 United States heat wave and drought affected the central and eastern United States. More than 1,000 deaths happened during this heat wave. Temperatures were highest for the southern Great Plains. Damage was higher than $20 billion.[3]
1988/89–Intense heat spells and droughts affected a number of states in the United States. The 1988–89 North American drought was associated with drought that caused $60 billion in damage. The heat spells led to 5,000–17,000 deaths in 1988/89.
2006–The 2006 North American heat wave affected a wide area of Canada and the United States. More than 220 deaths were reported.
2007–The European heat wave of 2007 affected mostly southeastern Europe. It happened from late June through August. The heat wave was associated with the 2007 Greek forest fires.
2012–In late June 2012, much of North America had a heat wave. The heat spread east from the Rocky Mountains. During this heat wave, the June 2012 North American derecho was a violent storm that killed 24 people. It caused almost $3 billion in damage.
2013–In Australia, the 2012-2013 summer, known as the Angry Summer, had serious heat waves and droughts. In the country, it was the hottest January on record and summer average on record.[6]
2020–Northern New England and Eastern Canada: On May 27, Montreal, Quebec broke its all-time May record high. The temperature was 97.9 °F (36.6 °C). It was the second highest temperature of all time for the city.[7] Nearby Ottawa, Ontario and Burlington, Vermont hit 95 °F (35 °C) the same day. In mid-June, a second heat wave hit these same regions. In Montreal and Burlington, temperatures hit 90 °F (32 °C) for six consecutive days. In New Brunswick, a number of cities broke all-time June record highs. The hot spots, Bathurst and Miramichi, hit 99 °F (37 °C).[8] The heat continued into July.
Also in 2020–In the Western United States and Midwestern United States, beginning in early to mid August, there was a period of intense heat. In Death Valley, California, the temperature reached 130 °F (54 °C), the highest since 134 °F (57 °C) in 1913.
2022–Heat waves in many European countries created all-time high temperatures in many places. The rising temperatures caused wildfires to break out across Europe, and the high temperatures caused hundreds of deaths across Spain and Portugal. The United Kingdom sent its first ever "red" level temperature warning. Many towns were evacuated in Portugal and France.
