U.S. heat dome brings extreme temperatures to Canada’s long weekend: ‘No escaping it’

Canada – specifically western regions – can expect to see extreme temperatures as a result of a heat dome in the United States.“This unusually warm spell that we’re seeing in western Canada is from the southwestern part of the United States,” David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told Global News.“What we’re seeing is a heat dome that has captured a good part of the geography of North America,” he said.A heat dome is a high pressure area that sets itself up over parts of the atmosphere and allows temperatures to build up over a period of time.“It’s like a bully.

You can’t kick it out. It just doesn’t leave and becomes dangerous and unhealthy,” said Phillips.While heat domes can sometimes last months, this particular one established itself earlier this week, he added.In a heat dome, air rises but is impeded by the “lid or roof,” which pushes it back down to make temperatures even warmer, according to Phillips.“Temperatures that would be comfortably hot are in fact, dangerously hot.

They reach levels that people are not used to,” he said.And, while heat domes are usually intense, this one is unusually strong and warm, he said.“We’re seeing record temperatures…and there’s no stopping it at the border,” said Phillips.British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan all began to feel the heat earlier this week, with other provinces like Manitoba also expected to soon feel the intensity, he said.“It’s just hot and dry and the sun is baking the ground and causing the air to be even warmer,” he said.No storms are expected to make their way through the heat dome for a period of relief either, Phillips added.“There’s no escaping it.