The spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades
Abstract The spatial extent of an extreme heat event influences the total exposure of people and natural systems to heat-related stresses, straining water, energy, and emergency management resources. Here, we quantify how the contiguous area of individual heat wave events varies across heat wave typ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02661-y |
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| author | Christopher B. Skinner Danielle Touma Mathew Barlow Deepti Singh Troy King |
| author_facet | Christopher B. Skinner Danielle Touma Mathew Barlow Deepti Singh Troy King |
| author_sort | Christopher B. Skinner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The spatial extent of an extreme heat event influences the total exposure of people and natural systems to heat-related stresses, straining water, energy, and emergency management resources. Here, we quantify how the contiguous area of individual heat wave events varies across heat wave types, time of year, and in response to observed climate change within the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Dataset. Across the mid-high latitudes, cold season heat waves cover areas that are 1.25 to 3 times larger than warm season events, and daytime heat waves impact 1.25 to 2 times the area of nighttime heat waves. The reverse relationship is found throughout tropical regions. Average heat wave size, regardless of type or season, has increased across most land in recent years, often by 1.5 to 2 times in the mid-latitudes. The contiguous spatial extent of dry soil anomalies and lower tropospheric subsidence events have also increased in some locations, potentially contributing to the increases in heat wave size. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1c7cef2dd10d4799bcb62221d540ad8d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-1c7cef2dd10d4799bcb62221d540ad8d2025-08-20T04:03:11ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-08-016111310.1038/s43247-025-02661-yThe spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decadesChristopher B. Skinner0Danielle Touma1Mathew Barlow2Deepti Singh3Troy King4Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts LowellInstitute for Geophysics, University of Texas AustinDepartment of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts LowellSchool of the Environment, Washington State University VancouverDepartment of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts LowellAbstract The spatial extent of an extreme heat event influences the total exposure of people and natural systems to heat-related stresses, straining water, energy, and emergency management resources. Here, we quantify how the contiguous area of individual heat wave events varies across heat wave types, time of year, and in response to observed climate change within the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Dataset. Across the mid-high latitudes, cold season heat waves cover areas that are 1.25 to 3 times larger than warm season events, and daytime heat waves impact 1.25 to 2 times the area of nighttime heat waves. The reverse relationship is found throughout tropical regions. Average heat wave size, regardless of type or season, has increased across most land in recent years, often by 1.5 to 2 times in the mid-latitudes. The contiguous spatial extent of dry soil anomalies and lower tropospheric subsidence events have also increased in some locations, potentially contributing to the increases in heat wave size.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02661-y |
| spellingShingle | Christopher B. Skinner Danielle Touma Mathew Barlow Deepti Singh Troy King The spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | The spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades |
| title_full | The spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades |
| title_fullStr | The spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades |
| title_full_unstemmed | The spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades |
| title_short | The spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades |
| title_sort | spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02661-y |
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