Scientific American, 26 June 2025

Heat Domes Are Hotter and Lingering Longer—Because of the Arctic

A rapidly warming Arctic is driving long-lasting summer extremes, such as this month’s sweltering temperatures, new research suggests.

Temperatures are finally falling in the eastern U.S. as a vicious heat dome begins to subside. But such sweltering early-summer heat will only get more frequent in the years to come.

That’s because this week’s heat wave — which tumbled century-old temperature records in some areas — was clearly influenced by climate change, scientists say. The heat dome is just one consequence of the “stuck” weather patterns that are on the rise as the planet warms.