A heat burst is a rare meteorological phenomenon characterized by a sudden, localized increase in air temperature near the Earth’s surface, typically occurring during the late evening or nighttime hours. Heat bursts are associated with decaying thunderstorms and involve a rapid spike in temperature-often rising by 10°C (18°F) or more within minutes-along with a sharp drop in humidity and strong, gusty winds. The dry, hot air rushes downward from high altitudes as rain evaporates into dry air above, making the air denser and causing it to descend rapidly. As this air falls, it warms adiabatically due to increasing atmospheric pressure, leading to the sudden surface temperature increase. Heat bursts can last from a few minutes to several hours and are most common in late spring and summer but can occur at other times as well. They are distinct from other thunderstorm outflows like downbursts or microbursts because they bring hot, dry air rather than cooler, moist air. These events can cause significant impacts such as rapid drying of vegetation, strong winds, and localized heat spikes that are sometimes referred to as “Satan’s Storms” due to their intensity and rarity.
Heat bursts can occur in rapid succession, especially during active convective weather periods such as the passage of mesoscale convective systems or clusters of thunderstorms. According to a climatological analysis of heat bursts in Oklahoma, individual heat bursts typically last about 30 minutes, but multiple events can occur within a few hours or even overlap as successive downdrafts or wake depressions from thunderstorm systems descend and impact the surface. The frequency of heat bursts tends to peak during nighttime and early morning hours, often between midnight and 8 a.m. UTC, when atmospheric conditions favor the descent of warm, dry air parcels through temperature inversions. This means that during a single convective episode, several heat bursts may be recorded in relatively quick succession at nearby locations, producing multiple sudden temperature spikes and gusty winds over a short time frame.
No, heat bursts and their associated temperature changes are not rapid enough or rhythmic enough to cause the kind of high-frequency vibrations or oscillations in power lines that lead to galloping or electrical frequency fluctuations. Power line vibrations that cause galloping typically occur at frequencies around 1 Hz (one oscillation per second), driven by aerodynamic forces like wind acting on ice-coated conductors. In contrast, power-line noise and electrical oscillations related to arcing or ionization happen at much higher frequencies-often tied to the 60 Hz AC cycle and its harmonics, producing bursts at about 120 times per second[10][14][16].
Heat bursts cause sudden temperature increases over minutes, not milliseconds, and their thermal effects do not produce the rapid mechanical or electrical oscillations needed to vibrate power lines at these frequencies. Instead, power line vibrations arise from physical wind-induced forces or electrical phenomena like arcing and ionized air interactions around conductors[11][17]. Therefore, while heat bursts can cause thermal stress, they do not generate the rapid, repetitive bursts of energy required to induce power line galloping or frequency changes.
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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_burst
[2] https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Heat_burst
[3] https://www.weather.gov/abr/HeatBurstObservedFridayNight
[4] https://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/341/
[5] https://www.rainviewer.com/blog/heat-bursts-nighttime-temperature-spikes.html
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_wave
[7] https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triad/weather/2023/07/12/what-is-a-heat-burst-
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZspj65tj78
[9] https://skybrary.aero/articles/heat-burst
[10] http://www2.arrl.org/power-line-noise
[11] https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/12629/why-do-power-lines-buzz
[12] https://www.friwo.com/en/news/ueberspannungsphaenomene-surge-und-burst/
[13] https://www.reddit.com/r/Powerlines/comments/1937rqd/can_someone_explain_what_is_happening_pulsing_wire/
[14] https://www.arrl.org/power-line-noise-faq
[15] https://stormhighway.com/powerarc.php
[16] https://www.tdworld.com/overhead-transmission/article/20966171/a-smarter-approach-to-resolving-power-line-noise
[17] https://www.itv.com/news/2025-04-28/oscillations-and-vibrations-what-caused-the-power-outage-in-spain-and-portugal