A heatmap is a two-dimensional representation of data in which various values are represented by colors. A simple heatmap provides an immediate visual summary of information across two axes, allowing users to quickly grasp the most important or relevant data points.

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This method is helpful because it can provide an efficient and comprehensive overview of a topic at-a-glance. Unlike charts or tables, which have to be interpreted or studied to be understood, heatmaps are direct data visualization tools that are more self-explanatory and easy to read.

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An interactive map is shown with a heatmap over the weather stations in Canada using the Kernel density estimate (KDE) which can be represented in the form of 2D density graphs or density plots.