List of heat waves

Before 20th century

• 1473 heat and drought in Europe
• 1540 European drought - Extreme drought and heatwave lasting 11 months in Europe.
• July 1743 heatwave in China - Beijing reached on July 25, higher than any modern records. 11,400 people reportedly died.
• July 1757 heatwave – Europe, hottest summer in Europe since 1540 and until 2003.
• 1808 United Kingdom heat wave
• 1881 North American heat wave
• 1896 Eastern North America heat wave – killed 1,500 people in August 1896.
• 1900 – historical heatwave of the center of Argentina between the first eight days of February 1900 known as "the week of fire" affected the cities of Buenos Aires and Rosario with temperatures of up to but with a very high index of humidity that elevated the sensation of heat to severely affecting the health of people and causing at least 478 fatalities.

  20th century

• 1901 – 1901 eastern United States heat wave killed 9,500 in the Eastern United States.
• 1906 – during the 1906 United Kingdom heat wave which began in August and lasted into September broke numerous records. On September 2 temperatures reached, which still holds the September record, however some places beat their local record during September 1911 and September 2016.
• 1911 – 1911 Eastern North America heat wave killed between 380 and 2,000 people.
• 1911 – 1911 United Kingdom heat wave was one of the most severe periods of heat to hit the country with temperatures around. The heat began in early July and didn't let up until mid-September where even in September temperatures were still up to. It took 79 years for temperature higher to be recorded in the United Kingdom during 1990 United Kingdom heat wave.
• 1911 – 41,072 deaths were reported during a heat wave in France.
• 1913 – in July, the hottest heat wave ever struck California. During this heat wave, Death Valley recorded a record high temperature of at Furnace Creek, which still remains the highest ambient air temperature recorded on Earth.
• 1921 – Hottest July on record across Eastern Canada and parts of the Northeastern US, part of a very warm year in those places. Parts of the United Kingdom also saw recording breaking heat, also part of a very warm year. The Central England Temperature for July was, which was the 8th warmest since records began in 1659, and the warmest since 1852. The year of 1921 was the warmest on record at the time but has since been eclipsed by 15 other years.
• 1923–1924 – during a period of 160 such days from 31 October 1923 to 7 April 1924, the Western Australian town of Marble Bar reached.
• 1930s – Almost every year from 1930 to 1938 featured historic heat waves and droughts somewhere in North America, part of the Dust Bowl years.
• 1935 - In the summer months this heatwave was characterized by unusually high temperatures across the United Kingdom.
• 1936 – 1936 North American heat wave during the Dust Bowl, followed one of the coldest winters on record—the 1936 North American cold wave. Massive heat waves across North America were persistent in the 1930s, many mid-Atlantic/Ohio valley states recorded their highest temperatures during July 1934. The longest continuous string of or higher temperatures was reached for 101 days in Yuma, Arizona during 1937 and the highest temperatures ever reached in Canada were recorded in two locations in Saskatchewan in July 1937.
• 1947 – record breaking temperature of in Paris recorded on June 26, 1947.
• 1950s – Prolonged severe drought and heat wave occurred in the early 1950s throughout the central and southern United States. Every year from 1952 to 1955 featured major heat waves across North America. In some areas it was drier than during the Dust Bowl and the heat wave in most areas was within the top five on record. The heat was particularly severe in 1954 with 22 days of temperatures exceeding covering significant parts of eleven states. On 14 July, the thermometer reached at East St. Louis, Illinois, which remains the record highest temperature for that state.
• October 1952 – Romania was hit by very hot weather. Temperatures reached on 2 October, with Bucharest reaching. Temperatures on the night of 2–3 October were also just under.
• 1955 – 1955 United Kingdom heat wave was a period of hot weather that was accompanied by drought. In some places it was the worst drought on record, more severe than 1976 and 1995.
• 1960 – on 2 January, Oodnadatta, South Australia hit degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania.
• 1972 – heat waves of 1972 in New York and Northeastern United States were significant. Almost 900 people died; the heat conditions lasted almost 16 days, aggravated by very high humidity levels.
• 1976 – 1976 United Kingdom heat wave was one of the hottest in living memory, with temperatures exceeding somewhere in the country for over two consecutive weeks. The heatwave was also accompanied by one of the worst droughts in British history, and reservoirs reached historic low levels during the heat wave that would not be seen again until the heat waves of the 21st century. The maximum recorded temperature of the heat wave, at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire was at the time the third highest reliably recorded temperature in British history, with only the 1911 heat wave achieving higher reliably recorded temperatures.
• 1980 – estimated 1,000 people died in the 1980 United States heat wave and drought, which impacted the central and eastern United States. Temperatures were highest in the southern plains. From June through September, temperatures remained above all but two days in Kansas City, Missouri. The Dallas/Fort Worth area experienced 42 consecutive days with high temperatures above, with temperatures reaching at Wichita Falls, Texas, on 28 June. Economic losses were $20 billion.
• 1981 – August 1981 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest.
• 1983 – during the Summer of 1983 temperatures over were common across Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, and certain parts of Kentucky; the summer of 1983 remains one of the hottest summers ever recorded in many of the states affected. The hundred-degree readings were accompanied by very dry conditions associated with drought affecting the Corn Belt States and Upper Midwest. The heat also affected the Southeastern U.S. and the Mid-Atlantic states as well that same summer. New York Times represented articles about the heat waves of 1983 affecting the central United States. This heat wave was associated with the I-94 derecho.
• 1983 – United Kingdom experienced a heatwave during July 1983. This was the hottest month ever recorded until it was beaten in August 1995.
• 1987 – prolonged heat wave from 20 to 31 July in Greece, with more than 1,000 deaths in the area of Athens. The maximum temperature measured was at 23 July at the center of Athens and in the suburb of Nea Philadelphia, northeast was on 27 July, and were combined with high minima, with the highest being in the center of Athens at 27 July and at 24 July at Nea Philadelfia. The lowest minimum was at the center of Athens. Moreover, humidity was high and wind speeds low, contributing to human discomfort, even during the night.
• 1988 – intense heat spells in combination with the drought of 1988, reminiscent of the dust bowl years caused deadly results across the United States. Official estimates report that 5,000 to 10,000 people died because of constant heat across the United States. Some estimates put total deaths at close to 17,000.
• 1990 – cities across the United Kingdom broke their all-time temperature records in the dramatic 1990 United Kingdom heat wave. Temperatures peaked at at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. This led to one of the hottest Augusts on record going back to 1659. Also in France a several day heat wave is reported with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
• 1994 - Intense heat wave in Poland between July and August, with maximum temperature 39,5 degrees of Celsius. This heat caused 1076 additional deaths in 10 largest Polish cities.
• 1995 – During the first week of February 1995, California, including Los Angeles, experienced a record-breaking heat wave, and on February 20, 1995, it was 95 °F in Los Angeles during a Presidents' Day heat wave.
• 1995 – 1995 Chicago heat wave produced record high dew point levels and heat indices in the Chicago area and Wisconsin; temperatures reached as high as. The lack of emergency cooling facilities and inadequate response from civic authorities to the senior population, particularly in lower income neighborhoods in Chicago and other Midwestern cities, lead to at least 778 deaths—mostly which were African American Chicagoans. A series of damaging derechos occurred on the periphery of the hot air dome.
• 1995 – United Kingdom experienced its 3rd hottest summer since at least 1659. August was the hottest on record since 1659 and also the hottest month ever recorded until July 2006. The summer was also the driest on record since at least 1766. Temperatures peaked at on 1 August at Boxworth, Cambridgeshire, which did not break the all-time record.
• 1996- During the first week of February 1996, in California, including Los Angeles, experienced a record-breaking heat wave was 90 °F on Feb 7, 1996.
• 1997 – United Kingdom experienced its 3rd major heatwave in 7 years with August 1997 being one of the hottest on record.
• 1999 – heat wave and drought in the eastern United States during the summer of 1999. Rainfall shortages resulted in worst drought on record for Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. The state of West Virginia was declared a disaster area. were consumed by fire as of mid-August. Record heat throughout the country resulted in 502 deaths nationwide. There were many deaths in urban centers of the Midwest.
• 2000 – in late Summer 2000, a heat wave occurred in the southern United States, breaking many cities' all-time maximum temperature records.