Scorching US heatwave to hit 70 million people with third ‘heat dome’ in month A third major heat dome event is set to blanket the United States, affecting approximately 70 million people across southern and central regions. Temperatures are expected to soar between 95 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 40 degrees Celsius), with some areas in the southwestern desert potentially reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius). The heat dome, a high-pressure atmospheric system that traps warmth over a region for days or weeks, is expected to persist into the following week, creating a prolonged period of extreme conditions. The current heatwave follows two previous heat dome events in the same month, marking an alarming trend of increasing frequency and intensity of such weather patterns. The National Weather Service has issued extreme heat warnings for western Nebraska, where weekend temperatures are projected to hit 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). The Denver area could potentially break temperature records during this event, further highlighting the severity of the situation. Heatwaves have long been a feature of American summers, but their regularity and intensity are worsening due to human-driven climate change. The accumulation of heat-trapping gases from fossil fuel combustion has pushed global temperatures beyond historical norms, exacerbating the impact of these events. This summer has already seen record-breaking heat, with a massive heat dome in early July leading to the cancellation of Independence Day celebrations in the eastern U.S. A subsequent heatwave in the western states caused temperatures to reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) in Montana, shattering temperature records.#united_states #national_weather_service #denver #climate_central #heat_dome
Why Temperature Records Are Being Not Only Broken But Smashed Across western Europe, temperatures have surged to unprecedented levels, with the UK experiencing its hottest May day on two consecutive days. On Tuesday, the country recorded temperatures exceeding 35°C, surpassing the previous May record by more than 2°C. The Met Office described this heat as "exceptional," even for summer conditions, and emphasized its rarity in spring. Similarly, France is grappling with an early-season heatwave, with hundreds of temperature records shattered. The island of Ireland also saw its May temperature record broken by over 2°C, while Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland faced unusually hot conditions for this time of year. The immediate cause of this extreme heat is a "heat dome" — a high-pressure system that traps warm air over an area, creating prolonged periods of intense heat. However, scientists attribute the severity of the event to human-driven climate change. The burning of fossil fuels has accelerated global warming, making heatwaves more intense and frequent. Over the past 30 years, Europe has warmed by 0.56°C per decade, more than double the global average. This rapid warming has intensified heat extremes, with experts noting that even a weather event from the 1970s would now "smash" records due to the warmer baseline. The phenomenon of record-breaking temperatures is not limited to Europe. In India, temperatures in Delhi reached 45°C, highlighting the global scale of the issue. Climate scientists like Erich Fischer of ETH Zurich explained that in a stable climate, records should become rarer over time. However, in a rapidly warming world, the margin between record-breaking events can be vast.#imperial_college_london #heat_dome #climate_change_committee #erich_fischer #richard_betts
