This is a partial list of temperature events that have been called heat waves, arranged in the order they happened.

Before 20th century

• 1473 – Heat and drought occurred in Europe.
• 1540 – A severe drought and heatwave lasted 11 months in Europe.
• July 1743 – A heatwave in China affected Beijing. On July 25, the temperature reached 44.4°C (111.9°F), a record higher than any modern measurements. It is reported that 11,400 people died.
• July 1757 – A heatwave in Europe made it the hottest summer in the region since 1540 and until 2003.
• 1808 – A heatwave occurred in the United Kingdom.
• 1881 – A heatwave affected North America.
• 1896 – A heatwave in Eastern North America caused 1,500 deaths in August 1896.
• 1900 – A historical heatwave in central Argentina happened during the first eight days of February 1900. This event was called "the week of fire." Cities like Buenos Aires and Rosario experienced temperatures up to 37°C (99°F). High humidity levels made the heat feel like 49°C (120°F), harming people’s health and causing at least 478 deaths.

20th century

• 1901 – A heat wave in the eastern United States from 1901 caused 9,500 deaths.
• 1906 – A heat wave in the United Kingdom began in August 1906 and lasted into September. On September 2, temperatures reached 35.6 °C (96.1 °F), which is still the highest temperature recorded in September. Some places had higher temperatures in September 1911 and September 2016.
• 1911 – A heat wave in eastern North America in 1911 caused between 380 and 2,000 deaths.
• 1911 – The United Kingdom experienced one of its most severe heat waves in 1911, with temperatures near 36 °C (97 °F). The heat started in early July and lasted until mid-September. It took 79 years for higher temperatures to be recorded in the United Kingdom during the 1990 heat wave.
• 1911 – France reported 41,072 deaths during a heat wave.
• 1913 – In July 1913, the hottest heat wave in California’s history occurred. Death Valley recorded a temperature of 57 °C (134 °F) at Furnace Creek, which remains the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.
• 1921 – July 1921 was the hottest month ever recorded in eastern Canada and parts of the northeastern United States. The United Kingdom also had record-breaking heat. The average temperature in Central England for July was 18.5 °C (65.3 °F), the 8th warmest since 1659 and the warmest since 1852. The year 1921 was the warmest on record at the time but has since been surpassed by 15 other years.
• 1923–1924 – The Western Australian town of Marble Bar had 160 days with temperatures reaching 38 °C (100 °F) between October 1923 and April 1924.
• 1930s – From 1930 to 1938, most years in North America had historic heat waves and droughts, part of the Dust Bowl years.
• 1935 – The United Kingdom experienced unusually high temperatures during the summer months.
• 1936 – A heat wave in North America during the Dust Bowl followed one of the coldest winters on record. Many mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley states recorded their highest temperatures in July 1934. In Yuma, Arizona, temperatures of 38 °C (100 °F) or higher lasted 101 days in 1937. In July 1937, two locations in Saskatchewan, Canada, recorded the highest temperatures ever recorded in the country.
• 1947 – On June 26, 1947, Paris recorded a temperature of 37.6 °C (99.7 °F), a record at the time.
• 1950s – A severe drought and heat wave occurred in the central and southern United States in the early 1950s. From 1952 to 1955, major heat waves affected North America each year. In 1954, 22 days of temperatures exceeding 38 °C (100 °F) covered parts of 11 states. On July 14, East St. Louis, Illinois, reached 47 °C (117 °F), the highest temperature ever recorded in that state.
• October 1952 – Romania experienced very hot weather. On October 2, temperatures reached 39.0 °C (102.2 °F) in Romania, with Bucharest reaching 35.2 °C (95.4 °F).
• 1955 – The United Kingdom had a heat wave accompanied by a drought. In some areas, this was the worst drought on record, more severe than in 1976 and 1995.
• 1960 – On January 2, Oodnadatta, South Australia, reached 50.7 °C (123.3 °F), the highest temperature ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania.
• 1972 – A heat wave in New York and the northeastern United States in 1972 lasted nearly 16 days and caused nearly 900 deaths. High humidity made the conditions worse.
• 1976 – The United Kingdom experienced one of the hottest heat waves in living memory. Temperatures exceeded 32 °C (90 °F) for over two weeks. A drought also occurred, with reservoirs reaching historic low levels. The highest temperature recorded during the heat wave was 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, which was the third highest temperature ever recorded in the United Kingdom at the time.
• 1980 – An estimated 1,000 people died in the United States during a heat wave in 1980. Temperatures reached 47 °C (117 °F) in some areas.
• 1983 – A heat wave in the United States caused a severe drought and wildfires. In the same year, a heat wave in Poland caused 1,076 additional deaths in 10 of the country’s largest cities.
• 1990 – The United Kingdom experienced a dramatic heat wave in 1990, with temperatures reaching 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. This was one of the hottest Augusts on record since 1659. In France, temperatures exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) during a heat wave.
• 1994 – A heat wave in Poland between July and August reached temperatures of

21st century

• In early August 2001, a very hot weather event called a heatwave hit the eastern coast of the United States and parts of southeastern Canada. For more than a week, temperatures rose above 35 °C (95 °F), and the air was very humid. In Newark, New Jersey, the highest temperature ever recorded for the city, 41 °C (106 °F), was reached, with a heat index of over 50 °C (122 °F).
• In April 2002, a heatwave with summer-like conditions occurred in the spring across much of the eastern United States.
• In July 2002, a heatwave in China caused at least 7 deaths and led to over 3,500 hospitalizations.
• In April 2003, a heatwave with summer-like conditions affected the United Kingdom, mainly England and Wales, where temperature records were broken.
• The European heatwave of 2003 impacted much of western Europe, breaking temperature records. The hottest temperatures were in Spain, England, and France, where nearly 15,000 people died. In Portugal, temperatures reached as high as 47 °C (117 °F) in the south.
• The European heatwave of 2006 was the second major heatwave to hit the continent in four years. In Paris, temperatures reached 36.7 °C (98.1 °F). In Ireland, temperatures exceeded 32 °C (90 °F). In the Benelux region and Germany, temperatures reached 35 °C (95 °F) (up to 38 °C (100 °F) in some areas), and in Great Britain, temperatures reached 36.5 °C (97.7 °F). Many heat records were broken, including the hottest July temperature ever recorded in Great Britain. July 2006 was the hottest month ever recorded in the UK, even though the all-time temperature records from August 1990 and August 2003 were not reached.
• The 2006 North American heatwave affected large parts of the United States and some areas of Canada during July and August 2006. Over 220 deaths were reported. In South Dakota, temperatures exceeded 46 °C (115 °F). In California, temperatures ranged from 38 °C (100 °F) to 54 °C (130 °F). On July 22, Los Angeles recorded its highest temperature ever at 48 °C (119 °F). Humidity levels in California were unusually high, though lower than typical summer humidity on the Gulf Coast or eastern seaboard. The heatwave was also linked to a series of severe windstorms called derechos, which caused widespread damage.
• The European heatwave of 2007 mainly affected southeastern Europe from late June through August. Bulgaria experienced its hottest year on record, with temperatures above 45 °C (113 °F). The 2007 Greek forest fires were linked to the heatwave.
• During the 2007 Asian heatwave, the Indian city of Datia recorded temperatures of 48 °C (118 °F).
• In January 2008, Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory had ten consecutive days with temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F), and the average temperature for the month was 39.8 °C (103.6 °F). In March 2008, Adelaide, South Australia, had maximum temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) for fifteen consecutive days, which was seven days longer than the previous record. The heatwave also included eleven consecutive days above 38 °C (100 °F). This event was notable because it occurred in March, an autumn month, when Adelaide typically has only 2.3 days above 35 °C (95 °F).
• In early June 2008, the eastern United States experienced a heatwave with record temperatures. A heatwave in southern California later that month contributed to widespread fires. On July 6, another heatwave was expected to affect the entire state.
• In early 2009, Adelaide, South Australia, had a heatwave with six consecutive days of temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F), while rural areas had temperatures near 45 °C (113 °F). Kyancutta on the Eyre Peninsula had at least one day at 48 °C (118 °F), with 46 °C (113 °F) and 47 °C (116.6 °F) common in parts of the state. In Melbourne, Victoria, three consecutive days had temperatures over 43 °C (109 °F), and a secondary heatwave later recorded the city’s highest temperature ever at 46.4 °C (115.5 °F). During this heatwave, Victoria suffered large bushfires that killed 173 people and destroyed over 2,500 homes. Over half a million people lost power as the heatwave overloaded the electrical grid.
• In August 2009, Argentina experienced a heatwave during its winter, with temperatures 22 °C (72 °F) above normal in Buenos Aires. Temperatures reached 34.6 °C (94.3 °F) in Buenos Aires on August 30, breaking the previous winter record. In Santa Fe, temperatures reached 38.3 °C (100.9 °F), far above typical winter highs. August 2009 was the warmest winter month ever recorded in Argentina.
• The Northern Hemisphere summer heatwave of 2010 affected much of the American East Coast, from the Carolinas to Maine, from July 4 to July 9. Cities like Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Washington, Raleigh, and Boston had temperatures above 38 °C (100 °F). Many temperature records were broken, including Wilmington, Delaware’s temperature of 39 °C (103 °F) on July 7, which surpassed the 1897 record of 36 °C (97 °F). Philadelphia and New York reached 38 °C (100 °F) for the first time since 2001. Frederick, Maryland, and Newark, New Jersey, among others, had temperatures above 38 °C (100 °F) for four days.