Hi! I don't know if there is an "average" hot flash, but mine were very similar to yours. It would start in the middle of my body, usually between the base of my ribcage, and feel like a very hot coal inside me and just spread out from there. I got very sweaty and turned slightly red in the face and it would probably last a couple of minutes. I got most of mine during the night, and had terrible night sweats. I finally went on a low-dose birth control pill a couple of months ago which really changed my life for the better--haven't had one since, and I actually sleep during the night now! Whenever I post here I'm always recommending a great book, "Screaming to be heard: hormone connections that women suspect and doctors still ignore" by Elizabeth Vleit MD. It covers everything about menopause that you could imagine, including natural alternatives to HRT. Hope this helps! Take care, Cat