Extreme Heat and Severe Weather Plague Parts of North America | NOAA

Extreme Heat and Severe Weather Plague Parts of North America | NOAA

A dangerous heat wave that has been affecting more than 50 million people across the southern U.S. and Mexico expanded its reach this week, bringing more dangerous triple-digit temperatures to the region. At the same time, many others were affected by numerous thunderstorms and some tornadoes within the Plains and central U.S. NOAA satellites and forecasting models have been monitoring the record-breaking temperatures, which are being brought on by what is called a “heat dome,” in addition to the severe weather.  

A heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high-pressure traps heat over a particular area, and it can linger for days to weeks. Heat domes are typically linked to the behavior of the jet stream, which is a band of fast-moving winds high in the atmosphere that move in meandering wavelike patterns. When the jet stream meanders north, it moves slower and can sink, which lowers humidity. This allows the sun to create progressively hotter conditions on the ground. Air descending down mountains can also contribute to heat domes, as it warms even more. 

Credits: NOAA/NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)/Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: June 29, 2023

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