What is a heat dome? An atmospheric scientist explains the weather phenomenon baking large parts of the country

By William Gallus, Professor of Atmospheric Science, Iowa State University

A heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area. The heat dome can stretch over several states and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven.

Typically, heat domes are tied to the behavior of the jet stream, a band of fast winds high in the atmosphere that generally runs west to east.

Normally, the jet stream has a wavelike…

Read complete article

~	Jobseekers get about $345 less than pensioners each fortnight. This gap is hurting, and is set to widen without change

~	What is childhood dementia? And how could new research help?

~	Species living closely together in symbiosis is far older and way more common than you might think

~	We’re all feeling the collective grief and trauma of violence against women – but this is the progress we have made so far

~	Getting to know Alexandra Philbin: A Q&A with an Irish language activist

~	Trump trial reveals details about how the former president thinks about, and exploits, the media

~	Why the potential for another Donald Trump presidency is making Iran very nervous

~	Labor facing heavy defeat in Queensland, but faring better in federal polls

~	We reconstructed landscapes that greeted the first humans in Australia around 65,000 years ago

~	What do we lose when our old suburbs disappear?