How a heat dome forms and why experts blame it for Europe's baking temperatures

Europe is currently grappling with an intense and early summer heat wave, subjecting millions to dangerously high temperatures. Experts attribute these extreme conditions to a meteorological phenomenon known as a "heat dome."

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High-pressure system means that the air is sinking, and as the air goes down to lower altitudes, it becomes compressed. So the pressure increases and the temperature also increases.

A heat dome occurs when a persistent high-pressure system traps air near the surface. As this air sinks and compresses, its temperature rises dramatically. This phenomenon is driven by a northward bulge in the jet stream, which dictates weather patterns. "The heat dome is really what the jet stream is doing," explained Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist. "The heat wave is what we feel at the surface."

This year's heat wave is particularly severe in countries like France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. France has been heavily impacted, with its national weather service issuing red heat wave alerts across much of the country. Many European nations, unaccustomed to such brutal heat, lack widespread air conditioning, increasing vulnerability. Tragically, France has already reported around 40 deaths due to drowning as individuals sought ways to cool off.

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The heat dome is really what the jet stream is doing. The heat wave is what we feel at the surface.

Experts warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of these heat dome events globally. "We're warming the globe and that means we're shifting the range of temperatures that any given place experiences," said Francis. "And as you shift that range of temperature, you're making the extreme temperatures much more likely." Liz Bentley, chief executive at the Royal Meteorological Society, noted that June temperature records are not just being broken but "completely annihilated."

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In Europe, they're just not used to this. It's really just in the last decade or two where these sorts of really brutal heat waves have been happening and killing a lot of people because they don't have the means to stay cool.

Temperatures are expected to remain high for several days, with forecasts reaching up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in some areas. The extreme heat has prompted authorities to implement restrictions on public drinking and outdoor sports.

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We are going to see the June temperature records not just broken, but completely annihilated.