What is a hot dome?
The term is very new. It arose with a heatwave in Canada during the summer of 2021. But the phenomenon was always the same: at some point, the blocking anticyclone persisted in the same place and caused stagnation of air masses. In this zone of high pressure, another meteorological manifestation is also created: subsidence. That is, inside the dome, the air descends, compresses and increases the temperature. Another effect: the disturbance that comes from the Atlantic and which will bring moisture, freshness, is forced to revolve around the high pressure zone. That’s why it’s called a blockage, because the wind is blocked. The dome system acts like a heating pot lid.
Does global warming accentuate this meteorological phenomenon?
Studies are underway, but we are already seeing that these heat waves have increased sharply in recent years. And human influence has a role, yes. But then a few questions arise: is it the whole changing dynamic of meteorology? Are we coming to weather we’ve never seen before? Or, is the weather unchanged, but warmer on average due to global warming? If we decide that from 35°C, it’s a hot dome, we’re actually going to outpace them more often.
