Europeans are trapped under a scorching heat dome this week that has contributed to dozens of deaths across different countries.
A heat dome is a weather phenomenon where hot air and humidity become trapped, as if a lid was pushing heat and pressure downward.
France recorded its hottest day ever on Wednesday at a blistering 111.7 degrees. Forty people have drowned across the country in unsupervised swimming areas, presumably taking a plunge due to the intense heat, according to reports.
Unusually high temperatures have also been seen in the U.K., Spain and Italy. IS Global reports that, in 2024, over 62,700 people died due to heat-related causes.
Europe, which has traditionally shied away from the broad use of air conditioning, is now questioning whether it should break with tradition and follow America’s love for electrically cooled rooms.
In response to the heat waves, authorities have issued many red heat alerts, its highest level, and have canceled schools and public events. France has restricted drinking alcoholic beverages at a music festival, as alcohol reduces the body’s ability to manage extreme heat.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predicted that the U.S. will experience a hotter-than-average summer with the Pacific Northwest given the highest probability of seeing above average temperatures.
What is a heat dome?
A heat dome is a high-pressure system that traps hot air in a certain region for days.
“High-pressure system,” Mireia Ginesta, a research associate at the Climate Litigation Lab at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment told the AP, “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.”
Heat domes typically form when there is little to no cloud cover to break up the heat coming from the sun. Calm winds and dry seasons can also contribute to their formation.
The most recent and devastating heat dome occurred in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada in 2021. Temperatures reached as high as 121.3 degrees and The New York Times estimated that over 1,400 people died as a result.
With major losses of crops and farm animals, NOAA estimated that the total cost of all damages was more than $8.9 billion.
Experts project heavy heat waves for most of U.S.
Although the outlook for the U.S. looks cooler than Europe, experts still expect summer to bring significant heat waves, even as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday.
In an online forecast, meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said, “A multiday heat wave is brewing across the middle of the nation ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, expanding from the Plains to the Midwest.”
NOAA reported, “Heat indices approaching 110 degrees are possible from the mid-South to the central Gulf Coast.” Their reporting also indicated that the causes of the heat wave resemble that of a heat dome and the heat is expected to persist until mid-July.
The United Nations predicts that over the next five years, there is a 75% chance that the average global temperatures will be more than 2.7 degrees hotter than preindustrial times.
Additionally, the U.N. believes that the increased temperatures would likely result in an increase of natural disasters such as heavy storms and more intense wildfires. These events could cause economic impact, as well, largely through food price shocks.
Earlier reports from this year indicate that a large El Niño has been forming in the Pacific off the coast of Ecuador. Despite the correlation of the two events, evidence indicates that the heat dome in Europe was not affected by the El Niño.
Sweltering Europe reevaluates stance on air conditioning
The issue of air conditioning, the BBC reported, has been political in Europe as avoiding the practice has been seen as a way to combat climate change.
France’s right-wing leader Marine Le Pen called for subsidized implementation of air conditioning units amid the heat crisis this week.
Some Green leaders in France have begun to accept that the practice may become necessary in some areas. Marine Tondelier, the head of the Ecologists party, told France Info radio that “there are places where we just can’t do without it now.”
Only 25% of households have AC in France, according to NPR, which can make studying, working and other tasks difficult for most French people on the hottest days.
CNN reported that Europe generally has not needed air conditioning as the intense summers are relatively new. Culturally, Europeans combatted the heat by building well insulated buildings, opening windows, and taking siestas, i.e. mid-day naps, during the hottest part of the day. Additionally, air conditioning can be costly due to higher energy costs in Europe.
As temperatures will likely stay high over the next few years, countries will have to decide how to safely combat the heat.