Residents across the Pacific Northwest are bracing for a heatwave as health warnings went up all across the region. It's the latest in what is an alarming trend of increasing temperatures. A heat dome is a high-pressure region in the atmosphere that traps heat over a certain area. Because of a La Niña weather pattern, waters this year in the eastern Pacific are cool, while those in the west are warmer. This creates dense, warm winds that go into the jet stream and end up over the U.S. West Coast. The current heat dome has already set record temperatures, and another one is predicted to occur in mid-July.
Scientists say that climate change is one major factor in the increase in heat domes, not just in the U.S. but around the world, even in Russia's Arctic Circle. Especially in dry areas, heat waves can be self-perpetuating, because there are already droughts, which exacerbate heat even more.
In areas with especially high temperatures, city officials are open public venues with cooling as designated cooling centers, where people without air conditioning at home can come to rest and cool off. Officials also say that the very young and old are at most risk, and people with neighbors who live alone should check on them.
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