noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
heat wave; fierce heat; extreme summer heat
Refers to very severe hot weather, especially in summer or over a period of days. Often used in weather/news language and as 猛暑の before another noun.
今年の夏は記録的な猛暑だった。
This summer had record-breaking extreme heat.
The heat wave has been continuing this year.
猛暑の日は、こまめに水分を取ってください。
On days of fierce heat, please drink water regularly.
猛暑の中、多くの人が駅まで歩いた。
Many people walked to the station in the intense heat.
先月、都市部は記録的な猛暑に見舞われた。
Last month, the cities were hit by a record-breaking heat wave.
The company is taking measures to protect employees from the extreme heat.
Let's drink plenty of water to get through this extreme heat.
熱波 refers specifically to a meteorological heat wave event, while 猛暑 can describe either a heat wave or simply very hot conditions in general.
暑さ is the neutral word for heat or hot weather of any intensity, while 猛暑 specifically emphasizes extreme, fierce heat.
猛暑 is the broader meteorological term for an intense heat wave, while 炎天 specifically evokes the image of a blazing sun overhead and has a more literary feel.
猛暑 is used for fiercely hot summer weather, whereas 灼熱 covers any red-hot or scorching heat, literal or figurative.
冷夏 describes an unusually cool summer, the opposite of the extreme heat implied by 猛暑.
A Sino-Japanese compound written with 猛, associated with fierceness or intensity, and 暑, heat or hot weather.