Live Roundups Editor's Desk Insights Executive Ops Weather About 🔍
Home › Environment › What makes a heat dome? Experts explain
Environment

What makes a heat dome? Experts explain

What makes a heat dome? Experts explain
Phys.org Friday 29 May 2026, 15:40 UTC 1 min read
Key Points

The heat dome phenomenon, which occurred in the Pacific Northwest in 2021, was a rare and extreme weather event characterized by a prolonged period of high temperatures and humidity, resulting in record-breaking heat and significant human impact. The event was caused by a combination of atmospheric conditions, including a high-pressure system and a lack of cloud cover, which trapped heat and moisture in the region, leading to widespread heat-related illnesses and deaths.

The summer of 2021 was one for the record books as the now-infamous "heat dome" settled over the Pacific Northwest from late June through early July, resulting in triple-digit temperatures and hundreds of deaths.
Originally published by Phys.org Read original →

Related Stories

Pump-action soap dispensers are a disgrace – and I won’t put up with them any longer | Adrian Chiles

Either give us a simple squeezy bottle that actually works or bring back the tried-and-tested solid barsEven as I pick it off the shelf, I know it will let me down. I rate the chances of it working no better than 50/50. So why do I buy it, when the dead hand of impending disappointment taps so insistently on my shoulder?

The Guardian UK 1h ago

Toby Carvery to pay for orchard planting after causing outrage by felling 500-year-old oak

Restaurant chain took chainsaw to ancient oak tree in Enfield without permissionThe UK restaurant chain Toby Carvery has settled a legal dispute over taking a chainsaw to an ancient oak tree without permission, by agreeing to pay to restore a lost orchard. The unauthorised partial felling of the 500-year-old oak next to a Toby Carvery car park in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, north London, in April last year, prompted widespread public outrage and questions in parliament.

The Guardian Environment 1h ago

Deepest and most extensive whale graveyard discovered in Indian Ocean

Some remains found in Diamantina fracture zone date back more than 5m years and reveal species and ecosystems unknown to scienceThe oldest, deepest and most extensive whale graveyard yet discovered has been found in the south-eastern Indian Ocean, with fossils dating back more than 5m years. Whale falls – the term for dead whales that sink to the ocean floor – are not uncommon, but most have been found at depths of less than 4km (2.5 miles). By contrast, the newly discovered necropolis...

The Guardian Environment 2h ago

Deepest and most extensive whale graveyard discovered in Indian Ocean

Some remains found in Diamantina fracture zone date back more than 5m years and reveal species and ecosystems unknown to scienceThe oldest, deepest and most extensive whale graveyard yet discovered has been found in the south-eastern Indian Ocean, with fossils dating back more than 5m years. Whale falls – the term for dead whales that sink to the ocean floor – are not uncommon, but most have been found at depths of less than 4km (2.5 miles). By contrast, the newly discovered necropolis...

The Guardian UK 2h ago