Dangerous hot and wet conditions suffocate nearly the entire eastern half of the United States this week, due to a “heat dome” parked on parts of the country.
The heat alerts were valid on Wednesday for about 150 million people. The temperatures of more than 95 degrees Fahrenheit were widespread across the Ohio Valley and through the East Coast. The “very dangerous heat” is expected to continue until Thursday, according to national weather service.
But what is the dome of heat, and why does the phenomenon bring a repressive heat?
A heat dome occurs when a strong and continuous area of high pressure on the floor and hot air, such as a cover on a bowl.
Thermal domes are usually affected by the behavior of the jet stream, which is a strip of rapidly moving air in the air that flows from the west to east in the northern hemisphere and affects the weather systems.
The jet current is fed with differences in the temperature between the cold polar region to the north and the warmer air blocks to the south. While the jet current flows around the planet, it can extend in places, creating ponds and hills often lead to unusual weather patterns.
Some ripples can, for example, amplify cold shots. Others can move hot air on the ground, detonate heat and intensify moisture.
Heat domes can remain for several days or weeks, which supplies prolonged heat waves that can turn fatal. The disease and heat -related death can affect any person of any age, but children and people who suffer from previously present health conditions and the elderly are particularly vulnerable when temperatures rise.
Climate change also increases the frequency of thermal waves, intensity and duration of the world, Studies have shown. All the hottest years have happened on the planet since 1850 in the past decade, according to the National Oceanic and Attrads Administration.
It is expected some relief later this week across the Middle West and throughout the East Coast, but the heat and humidity are expected to remain high in the coming days.
This article was originally published on NBCNEWS.com
