A method of checking joule heating of an integrated circuit design, the method includes dividing the integrated circuit design into a plurality of windows, determining a power index of each window, adjusting the specification current value associated with each of the corresponding windows, and generating a current violation report, by a processor, of the integrated circuit. Each window includes one or more circuit elements. Each circuit element is associated with a corresponding current value. Each window is associated with a corresponding specification current value. Each power index is associated with a corresponding window. An amount of adjustment of the specification current value is a function of the power index of each corresponding window. The current violation report includes one or more entries. Each entry is associated with at least a corresponding window and one or more corresponding current values which exceed the corresponding adjusted specification current value.