"major heat" solar term (approx. July 23)
One of the 24 solar terms (二十四節気). Marks the hottest period of the year in the traditional calendar, around late July.
See also: 二十四節気
Around the time of 'major heat', it gets really hot every year.
blistering heat; intense summer heat
General term for extreme summer heat. Often used in weather forecasts or descriptions of oppressive heat.
Today's blistering heat makes it hard to go outside.
Standard kanji spelling for both the solar term and the general heat sense.
From 大 (great) + 暑 (heat). The solar-term sense derives from the traditional East Asian calendar.