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The Independent
a day ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Brace for the ‘heat dome'. Temperatures across the Midwest and East Coast will hit dangerous levels this coming week
The first major heat wave of the year is expected to challenge record temperatures across the central and eastern states from the weekend into next week. 'It will be exceptionally warm at night with little relief once the sun goes down," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno warned. "Many urban areas may struggle to drop below 80 at night, and that can take a toll on the body without air conditioning." Sweltering heat was already impacting the West on Thursday and Friday – the longest day of the year – with highs peaking up to 104 degrees around Salt Lake City and Denver. One picture shared by the National Weather Service in Utah captured an infrared thermometer reading on a car's dashboard at 165 degrees. 'NEVER leave children or pets inside a closed car on a hot day like this,' they said. So, what is a heat dome, how does it form, and what should Americans be wary of in the upcoming days? Here's what to know... What is a heat dome? A heat dome occurs when a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere acts as a reservoir that traps heat and humidity, Ricky Castro, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Illinois, said. Warm surface air beneath a heat dome can linger for several days or even weeks, threatening human health. Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the U.S. 'Extreme heat is tragically the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in America,' AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. 'There is an amplified risk of heat-related illnesses because this is the first heat wave of the year for millions of people, and their bodies are not yet acclimated to this type of heat and humidity.' How do they form? Heat domes are typically linked to the behavior of the jet stream which, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains, is a band of fast winds high in the atmosphere that move in meandering wavelike patterns. When the jet stream shifts northward, it moves slower and sinks. That allows for lower humdity and for the sun to create progressively hotter conditions on the ground. However, air descending down mountains can also contribute to heat domes, as it warms even more. Over cities, it is often warmer because pavement, buildings, and other types of hard surfaces tend to absorb and retain more heat. 'There may be more danger than a typical heat event, due to the longevity of near-record or record high nighttime lows and elevated heat index readings,' the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said. Who will it impact this time? Last summer, a heat dome 'broiled' the Northeast and Midwest. This summer, it's coming for big cities in the central U.S. and along the East Coast, along with horrible humidity that makes being outside even riskier. AccuWeather expects that Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., will experience at least one week with highs at or above 90 degrees. To the north, the Big Apple will also see multiple days of highs in the 90s, and areas around Manhattan will have temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. Heading west, Chicagoans are bracing for three to five days of highs in the 90s, marking the 'most intense heat wave Chicago has experienced in the last few years.' Temperatures in Kansas City, Missouri, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, and Nashville will also leap above 90 degrees for multiple days. To the Southeast, Atlanta and Charlotte are forecast to see temperatures between five and 15 degrees above the historical average. So, how long will it last? Temperatures are expected to dip a bit by mid-week and into the weekend, according to Fox Weather. Still, this is only the start of the summer season. Human-caused climate change is making heat waves more frequent and severe. Last year was the hottest year on record, and the first heat advisory was issued in Alaska last week. This will be the first stretch of true summertime weather for many in the eastern U.S. 'A lot of those folks have been saying, where's summer? Well, buckle up, because it's coming,' AccuWeather's Tom Kines said.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Millions of people across central and eastern US under ‘heat dome' warning
Scores of millions of people across the central and eastern US will swelter under the summer's first 'heat dome' beginning this weekend and extending through the end of next week as extreme hot air and humidity get trapped in the atmosphere. The arrival of the heatwave coincides with Friday's first day of summer and will bring temperatures at or above 100F (37.7C) to numerous cities as it moves to the east of the US in the coming days, forecasters say. As estimated 170 to 200 million people will be affected from the central Great Plains to mid-Atlantic states including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, with no respite expected until the 'lid' of strong high pressure eases by next weekend. Experts are warning residents to stay cool indoors as much as possible, even after darkness falls. 'It will be exceptionally warm at night with little relief once the sun goes down,' Bernie Rayno, chief on-air meteorologist at AccuWeather, said in a Friday afternoon bulletin. 'Many urban areas may struggle to drop below 80 at night, and that can take a toll on the body without air conditioning.' Heat domes, which form when high pressure from Earth's atmosphere compresses warm air and pushes it down to the surface, have become increasingly common in the US in recent years amid rising global temperatures fueled by the climate emergency. Extreme heat has killed more people in the US since 1995 than hurricanes and tornadoes, National Weather Service figures show, including 238 last year. 'Extreme heat is tragically the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in America,' Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather's chief meteorologist, said. 'There is an amplified risk of heat-related illnesses because this is the first heat wave of the year for millions of people, and their bodies are not yet acclimated to this type of heat and humidity.' More than 40 million people were already under heat alerts by Friday lunchtime as temperatures began to rise across the midwest. Large areas of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa were experiencing temperatures above 90F. On Saturday, extreme heat is forecast to spread north and east into Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri; while Sunday will see states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York beginning to experience peak temperatures. By early to midweek, the entire region stretching as far east as Maine will have high temperatures and humidity. Sign up to First Thing Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The health risks of the extreme heat cannot be underestimated, experts say, especially if temperatures do not drop significantly after the sun sets. 'Your body needs a reprieve,' Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University, told the Associated Press. 'You don't get that overnight, we start the next day at a deficit. When we have overnight temperatures that don't drop below 75F you start to see some pretty extraordinary outcomes with respect to heat illness and heat stroke, and even mortality.' Some states and municipalities have set up cooling stations to ease conditions for vulnerable populations, especially those who are unhoused. Only a handful of states have legal heat protections such as shade and water breaks for outdoor workers. In Phoenix, Arizona, the hottest city in the US with 143 days at or above 100F in 2024, city leaders last year unanimously approved regulations including mandatory access to air conditioning. Some states, however, have actively removed such measures. In Florida, which has an estimated 2 million outdoor workers, Republican governor Ron DeSantis signed a law last year banning municipalities from enacting heat protections after lobbying from business owners.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Downpours to unleash flash flooding in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas
Inches of rain are forecast to pour down on a zone from central and eastern Texas to southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas in the coming days, which can trigger dangerous flash flooding. Downpours will be strewn across the Interstate 10 and 20 corridors of the southern United States from New Mexico and Texas to Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas into midweek. In some instances, the heavy rain will be associated with gusty and severe thunderstorms. Some of the most intense thunderstorms from large complexes will focus on parts of Texas into Tuesday night, with some areas potentially blasted by more than one severe storm with high winds, hail and flash flooding in 24 hours. Should a large complex of thunderstorms reach its peak intensity, a long-lived high wind event that tracks for hundreds of miles could unfold. The weather community refers to such a potentially large, damaging thunderstorm complex as a derecho. At this time, AccuWeather meteorologists believe that a derecho is unlikely, but some communities can face damaging weather as storms become intense for a brief time and lead to regional power the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+ A storm swinging out from northern Mexico will track across the South Central states from Wednesday to Friday, setting the stage for thunderstorms to erupt in a very moist environment created by the Gulf. This setup will unleash the tremendous amounts of moisture in the atmosphere in the form of torrential downpours where up to a few inches of rain can pour down in a few hours or less. This alone can trigger rapid flooding of city streets, turn dry washes into raging torrents and lead to rapid rises on some streams and rivers in the region from central Texas to western Arkansas, including southeastern Oklahoma and perhaps northwestern Louisiana. "Some of the heaviest rain and perhaps a concentration of flash flooding is likely to occur along the I-35 corridor of Texas and southern Oklahoma and includes the major cities of Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, Texas," AccuWeather Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist Eddie Walker said. Where the downpours repeat over a number of days, 6-10 inches of rain could fall in localized areas, which can lead to flooding on a more regional basis. Much of the zone where the heaviest rain will fall is not in drought, as downpours since the early spring have replenished soil moisture and then some. There are some areas, mainly south and west of Austin, where drought is serious and any non-flooding rainfall would be welcomed. However, even in part of this zone of south-central Texas, too much rain can fall too fast and lead to dangerous flash flooding. "In Texas, many droughts end in floods," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said, "However, in this case, flash flooding won't discriminate between drought and saturated areas." Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Newsweek
Thunderstorm Update: Millions Across Multiple States in Risk Zone
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Severe weather is expected to continue on Friday, threatening major cities from the South and Midwest to the Eastern U.S. Why It Matters The renewed threat of severe weather comes after meteorologists previously warned that an active pattern would bring thunderstorms from the northern Plains to the Atlantic coast this week, with conditions ripe for long-track tornadoes and widespread wind damage. What To Know The risk of severe weather will move south and east on Friday, AccuWeather forecasts, potentially affecting major cities such as St. Louis, Nashville, Memphis, and stretching eastward to Washington, D.C, and Richmond, Virginia. Which Areas Could be Hit By Thunderstorms The outlet also forecasts a high-risk zone for Friday, encompassing parts of southwestern Illinois, southern Indiana, western Kentucky, southeastern Missouri, and northwestern Tennessee. AccuWeather's forecast map for Friday. AccuWeather's forecast map for Friday. AccuWeather Among the potential threats are tornadoes, hail, and flash flooding, along with "widespread" damaging wind gusts up to 70-80 miles per hour, AccuWeather said. It warned that long-track tornadoes could occur across highly populated areas of the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys. Damaging winds could result in power outages, tree and roof damage later on Friday afternoon and evening, it said. AccuWeather noted that Thursday and Friday mark the first high-risk days for severe thunderstorms issued this month by its meteorologists, although this season has already experienced more high-risk days than the historical norm, the outlet said. Power Outages Hundreds of thousands were without power as of early Friday, following severe weather that swept through the area, according to a service that tracks disruptions. At the time of writing, Michigan was worst affected, with some 278,000 outages. In Indiana and Illinois, around 80,000 and 54,000 were reported respectively, with a further 17,735 in Wisconsin. What People Are Saying In an advisory shared with Newsweek, AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie Rayno said: "It has been an exceptionally dangerous start to the spring severe weather season in the U.S. "We've seen a steep increase in the number of tornado reports during March and early April. Unfortunately, we expect these numbers to continue climbing over the next few days." The National Weather Service forecast office, Milwaukee, Wisconsin said on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday: "Storms have come to an end for the night, but windy conditions will persist into Friday. A line of storms is expected to develop across southwest Wisconsin early on Friday afternoon and then track across southern WI through the afternoon. Gusty winds and large hail possible." NWS Chicago said on X, Thursday: "Storms today may bring damaging straight line winds which can down trees and tree branches, and loose objects can become airborne and dangerous." In a separate post, it said: "There is a chance for more storms Friday afternoon and evening. However, it's still unclear what areas will end up seeing storms. Any storms that develop will have the potential to be strong to severe, with damaging winds and hail being the main threats." What Happens Next By Saturday, storms may become more scattered across the Southern states, stretching from Dallas, Texas, to Virginia Beach, Virginia, AccuWeather predicted. Saturday afternoon and evening threats could include damaging wind gusts, heavy downpours, and a few isolated tornadoes.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Dozen tornadoes reported across multiple states with millions of people warned of more severe weather to come
A dozen suspected tornadoes tore across at least three states on Thursday, with forecasters warning of more to come on Friday. Severe weather hit Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, with 80mph winds and widespread power cuts. Millions of people are now under thunderstorm watches heading into the weekend. Weather officials warned of severe thunderstorms and strong tornadoes that include 'intense supercells associated with tornadoes, large hail and wind damage' Friday, with gusts exceeding 75 mph, according to the National Weather Service. More than 270,000 residents were left without power in Michigan as a result of the storms Thursday night, with Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, reporting similar issues, according to tracking site Trees and power lines were ripped up, and Beyoncé concert-goers at the open-air Soldier Field, in Chicago, were drenched in the rain, prompting fans to seek cover, officials said. The NOAA had warned of possible 80 mph winds in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park, and social media users posted videos of the downpour online. No deaths have been reported following the storms as yet. But more bad weather is on the way. A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for north-central and northeast Arkansas, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, southeastern Missouri, and northwest Tennessee, effective Friday. Officials said there was also an 'enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms' across central and eastern Kansas and far northern Oklahoma. 'Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected to develop and move rapidly northeast across the watch area early this morning. Large hail and damaging thunderstorm gusts will be the primary severe weather hazard, although a tornado or two will also be possible,' the NOAA said. So far, there have been more than 750 preliminary tornado reports in 2025, which is more reports by mid-May than any other year since 2011. 'It has been an exceptionally dangerous start to the spring severe weather season in the U.S.,' AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie Rayno said in a statement. 'We've seen a steep increase in the number of tornado reports during March and early April. Unfortunately, we expect these numbers to continue climbing over the next few days.' Severe weather in 2024 resulted in the second-highest number of tornadoes since record-keeping began in 1950, according to the National Weather Service. Despite the near-historic year, the 54 tornado-related deaths were well below the 20-year average. More than half of those occurred in mobile and manufactured homes. This year, deadly tornadoes have torn across much of the eastern U.S., with additional reports in the Los Angeles area in March. Mississippians struck by the storms were forced to hide inside their cars as tornadoes annihilated their homes. A month later, tornadoes killed people in the South and Midwest, launching debris into the air. Tornadoes can occur at any time, but typically peak from March through June.
