Overview

• A high-pressure “heat dome” is trapping hot air over central and eastern US, driving daytime temperatures into the 90s and triple digits through early next week.
• The UK Health Security Agency’s amber heat health alert covers all regions in England as temperatures are forecast to reach about 34°C on Saturday.
• The US National Weather Service has activated heat advisories and warnings across the Plains, Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and East Coast, warning of record highs and poor overnight cooling.
• Health officials caution that older adults and people with heart or lung conditions face the greatest danger of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and are urging use of cooling centers and wellness checks.
• Climate scientists say the intensity of this event reflects a “heat dome” effect made more likely by human-driven warming, with research showing UK odds of 40°C days are now over 20 times higher than in the 1960s.