America: so hot rn

Inside activities and air conditioning are like Sabrina Carpenter (very popular) this week, as a record-temperature-bringing heat dome parks itself over the Midwest and Northeast regions, affecting millions of Americans.

• Chicago hit 97°F on Monday, breaking an all-time daily temperature record that had stood for 137 years (daily temp record = the highest recorded temp on that date in history).
• In Scranton, Pennsylvania, the temp hit 94°F yesterday, beating its old record of 93°F set in 2018. Pam and Angela also teamed up to throw an office party in the parking lot, complete with kiddie pools and sprinklers (Dwight was the only one to show up in a Speedo, thanks to Jim).
• In total, ~78 million Americans – nearly a quarter of the population – were under extreme heat alerts as of yesterday.

What is a heat dome? Not to be confused with the Thunderdome, a heat dome is a weather phenomenon where a high-pressure area is formed in the atmosphere, trapping hot air beneath it like a lid traps air in a pot and preventing milder weather systems – like ones that bring rain – from coming through.

🥵👀 Looking ahead… Dangerous levels of heat are expected to continue across many areas of the contiguous US through the weekend, and potentially into next week.