The phrase "record heat" means that the level of heat or temperature being experienced is the highest ever recorded in a specific place or period of time. Full definition
If the trend is warming I'd expect fewer record - setting cold spells, but that would be more than offset by the rising frequency of record heat waves. (realclimate.org)
In comparison, there were only about 500 cold records set or tied, making it a stunning 13 - to - 1 ratio of record heat to cold. (wxshift.com)
This news will come as no surprise to residents of the 19 countries that experienced record heat in 2010. (insteading.com)