Why doesn't the places in the equator experience heat waves???

Question

I have read a few weeks ago that Japan had a heat wave and killed about 20 people and yet I live on an island where its really close to the equator and we don't experience heat wave??? but Japan's like not close to the equator compared to where I live and they experienced it... What's the deal?

Answer 1

A heatwave is generally a prolonged period of unusally hot weather. 'Hot' is subjective as it depends on what the weather is normally like. Where I am (the UK) a heatwave would be anything upwards of about 33°C that lasted more than a couple of days but in other parts of the world this type of weather is the norm.

Living close to the equator you'll be used to hot weather. If you'd have been in the UK today you'd probably have felt cold whilst the rest of us were wandering around in T-shirts because to us it was hot.

In a country like Japan where the weather is generally more moderate, people aren't used to the heat and when the temps rise people are unable to cope - particularly the elderly, very young and the infirm.

In short, it's a matter of perception.

Answer 2

It's hotter (on average) at the equator than places like Japan or the United States. So for one thing, no one would really call it a heat wave if it happened at the equator. Second, the equator happens to run through some of the poorest areas in the world. In those places, less of a big deal is made in the world news about loss of life, and even in the rare cases where people in the western world do care the statistics aren't as reliable.

On top of all this, those killed during heat waves are usually old and/or sick. Fewer people live as long or live through illness in poor countries, so you might even argue (if you want to stretch it) that they aren't around for the heat to kill at the equator.

Answer 3

Equatorial region is a low pressure belt(called equatotial trough) marking the convergence zone of airmasses which moves towards the equator from the subtropical anticyclones of both hemispheres.These airmasses are warm and humid and are very unstable.Therefore convection starts and cloud formations are frequent resulting in thunderstorm and rain on most of the days.So, this cloud covering and rain prevents the temperature shooting up to exreme levels in this region.
More over, the land area along which the equator runs constitute only about 23 to 25 percent ,the remaining being sea area.You may be knowing that temperature conditions over a sea area will be moderate only.