But is it a Heat Wave?

As a side note to the big story about dangerously hot weather for people who are sticklers for using proper terminology, the conditions over the next couple of days do not constitute a heat wave.

Just as certain conditions must be present in the winter for a storm to be an actual blizzard, not all hot weather events qualify as a heat wave.

The World Meteorological Organization definition of a heat wave is five or more consecutive days where the daily maximum temperature is nine degrees or more above the average normal high for the date and location.