Hotter heat waves are sticking around as the planet keeps warming
A heat dome sent temperatures soaring across the Eastern U.S. last week, part of a growing trend driven by human-caused climate change that’s increasing the frequency and severity of extreme heat events.
Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.
In short:
- Cities across the Eastern U.S. endured temperatures over 100°F during a heat dome, causing road damage, infrastructure malfunctions, and hospitalizations, including 100 people treated after outdoor graduations in New Jersey.
- Scientists say human-driven global warming is intensifying heat waves by raising baseline temperatures and changing atmospheric patterns like the jet stream, which contributes to the formation and persistence of heat domes.
- The Trump administration is rolling back climate regulations as Republicans in Congress push to dismantle existing clean energy incentives, raising concerns about future policy responses to climate-related disasters.
Key quote:
“This heat wave that we’re just coming out of is a great example of we’re going to see more of getting even hotter and longer if we don’t slow down our use and stop our use of fossil fuels and replace fossil fuels with … clean, low-carbon energy.”
— Jonathan Overpeck, dean of the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan
Why this matters:
Extreme heat is deadly. As average global temperatures rise, heat waves are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense. These events strain public health systems, damage infrastructure, and disrupt daily life, especially in urban areas where concrete and asphalt trap heat. High temperatures also increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, particularly among older adults, outdoor workers, and children. Humidity worsens these effects by reducing the body’s ability to cool itself. The changing behavior of the jet stream, influenced by Arctic warming, is locking in extreme weather patterns, making episodes like heat domes more persistent. Without emissions cuts, what we consider extreme today may soon become the new normal.
For more: Heat and pollution are combining to threaten public health as U.S. temperatures rise
