The massive heat dome that has been moving across the country is about to envelop New Hampshire with temperatures in the Concord region climbing almost to 100 degrees on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, while staying near 90 degrees over the weekend.
Even worse, high humidity means it will feel much hotter than the temperature, because humidity slows the rate at which perspiration can evaporate and remove heat from our bodies.
Officials are cautioning people to take it easy outdoors as much as possible. Concord pools and splash pads will be open, and many communities are opening cooling centers, including libraries and fire stations, for people who don’t have access to air conditioning. Check for the nearest cooling center in your area by calling 211.
Our heat blast is echoed by a similar dome in Eurasia that shattered all-time temperature records in much of Europe in recent days, leading to more than 1,000 deaths in France. Ocean temperatures have also neared or broken records in parts of the world as climate change, fueled by human actions including the burning of fossil fuels, continues to heat up the globe and alter weather patterns.
This heat wave is of particular concern because it is happening so early in summer. Temperatures traditionally peak in August or September.
