Heat Dome to Put Millions of People Under High Temperatures Across the United States

A heat dome has been forecasted to bring scorching temperatures across the Central United States in the coming week, according to US meteorologists.

The heat wave is expected to move into the East Coast in the coming days, while residents are still recovering from recently record-breaking heat across the region and other areas nationwide.

The dome of heat is reportedly caused by a jet stream over the Great Plains and the Mississippi River Valley by Sunday, June 19.

Heat will continuously build up as the week progresses, affecting cities like Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri.

The extreme heat will likely affect other states across the region, including Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Wisconsin.

Additionally, high temperatures could also break all-time high records in some cities or towns.

Furthermore, the intense heat could add to fire weather conditions in the wildfire-prone Texas, which has been engulfed by fires since the spring season in March.

Potential fatalities are also possible amid the heat dome, which has been recently described by the National Weather Service (NWS) as a "dangerous heat."

Heat Dome Forecast

In the latest US weather forecast, AccuWeather forecasters predicted that an "uncomfortable heat" will strike the region and its surrounding areas from Monday, June 20.

The massive heat wave will pass from the Great Lakes through the Mississippi River Valley, Great Plains, and even some areas in the Southeast US.

Moreover, the heat dome could bring 5 to 15 degrees in above-average temperatures in multiple locations across the country.

The sweltering heat has also been projected to intensity from Tuesday, June 21, which is reportedly the last day of the astronomical spring.

AccuWeather also placed emphasis on potential life-threatening risks for tens of millions of Americans in the said regions from Tuesday.

In the 2021 summer season, a Pacific Northwest heat wave killed hundreds of people in Washington and Oregon.

Isolated yet related deaths were also reported across the US in recent years.

What is a Heat Dome?

From the term itself, a heat dome is a hemispherical or circular-shaped formation over a particular area, which is like the roof of a house or an establishment.

A heat dome transpires when Earth's atmosphere in certain region traps hot ocean air similar to a lid or a cap, according to the National Ocean Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Extreme heat waves have become frequent during the summer season in recent decades.

In addition, it occurs when strong, high-pressure atmospheric conditions merge with weather conditions influenced by the La Niña weather phenomenon, the NOAA adds.

Heat Dome Causes

A scientific team funded by the NOAA MAPP Program has discovered that the main cause of a heat dome is a strong alteration in ocean temperatures from west to east over the tropical Pacific Ocean.

The researchers found this phenomenon occurs during the preceding winter season.

The meteorological condition allows the movement of hot air or hot weather into the east where a jet stream traps the air, sinking to the ground and resulting in heat waves, based on the program.