With the arrival of the summer solstice in North America today, more than 70 million Americans are under aheat alert. The current heat wave is the result of a so-called heat dome phenomenon, in which a high-pressure system hovers over the same area for an extended period, trapping warm air underneath.
Climate scientists also warn North Americans to expect another wave of erratic weather events. Wildfires in Southern California and New Mexico have already forced thousands from their homes, Texas faces unusually heavy rain this week, and heavy snow has been forecast in parts of Montana. Tropical storm Alberto, the first of the season, has been bringing heavy rain to the US Gulf Coast, Mexico, and parts of Central America.
All that said, Europe, where temperatures are climbing at twice the global average, is the world’s fastest-warming continent, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.