Heat waves are one of the largest causes of environmentally-related deaths globally. The intensification of the effects of heat waves by the urban heat island during extended periods of extreme heat, combined with urban demographics, are key elements leading to these disasters and are likely to become more numerous as a result of climate change. Climatological weather station data, moderate resolution thermal imagery from Earth-orbiting satellites, and demographic information for selected cities were use in this research to develop a heat wave risk product as a potential warning tool for public health decision makers and the general public. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.