A heat dome over the Central U.S. is predicted to bring record-breaking temperatures to parts of Midwest and extend into the Central Plains and Texas.
Forecast Details: The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center expects dangerous heat to impact the central Gulf Coast, the lower Mississippi Valley and the northern High Plains this weekend and next week.
* The heat dome could result in the hottest period of this summer for Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas, with potential to break several daily high records.
Causes and Concerns: The prolonged, intense heat is due to an upper-level ridge, a high-pressure area that traps heat over a specific area for an extended period.
* This high-pressure area will be kept in place primarily by a low-pressure area in Western U.S., and influenced by interactions with Hurricane Hilary.
* Some areas could see heat indexes as high as 110 degrees for several hours, potentially over several days next week.
Link to Climate Change: The warming climate is making heat waves more frequent and more intense.
* Frequency and intensity of sequential heat waves is also increasing according to Kai Kornhuber, scientist at Climate Analytics.
* An international team of researchers have stated that recent heat waves in U.S. cities would be “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change.
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