Is a heat dome linked to climate change?

Climate scientists suspect that they could be linked, said Prof Koh, noting that Europe has experienced more frequent heat domes in the past decade than in previous decades.

Heat domes are natural occurrences which happen from time to time, he said, adding that the longer a high-pressure system stays, the more intense the heat dome will be. 

“At its root, the phenomenon is not caused by climate change,” he added. 

However, Prof Koh noted that as global warming causes the Arctic to heat up more quickly than the rest of the world, the jet stream in the northern hemisphere is expected to weaken.

“This would make it easier for heat domes to form,” he said. “Climate scientists suspect that this is linked to global warming.”

Scientists say the current heatwave is making extreme events more likely and severe.

A recent scientific study found that the current heatwave in Europe was “significantly exacerbated by human-induced climate change”.

Without global warming, temperatures would have been 2°C to 4°C lower.

Research also found that climate change may make heat domes more frequent and intense. A 2022 study found that global warming made heat dome events up to 150 times more likely.

Scientists also confirmed that climate change is making heatwave events more intense, frequent and widespread. 

A previous heat dome event in June 2025 in Europe could be linked to climate change and its effects on heatwaves, according to a Reuters report.

Climate change is not only increasing heat extremes but is also contributing to more intense storms and other weather events.

Europe is also warming at more than twice the global average, according to WMO, making such prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.

Meteorological experts said the trend is likely to continue. 

In a 2025 interview with Time magazine, Gordon McBean, professor emeritus at Western University, said that as the climate warms, the number and intensity of heat domes could increase, and the temperatures trapped beneath them could become even hotter.

Want an issue or topic explained? Email us at digitalnews [at] mediacorp.com.sg (digitalnews[at]mediacorp[dot]com[dot]sg). Your question might become a story on our site.