Global warming is melting the Arctic ice cap, and that’s having unforeseen effects on the world’s weather — even thousands of miles away from the North Pole. Some climate scientists have begun to link increasingly common heat waves in Europe to what is called a “double jet pattern.”
In this weather pattern, the jet stream, which is typically a narrow band of fast-moving air in the upper atmosphere, splits into two branches with Europe in between. This phenomenon causes a “heat dome” effect in which European countries are trapped in a pattern of prolonged, extreme heat. More than 40,000 people died as a result of the 2022 European heat wave, according to preliminary estimates. Watch the video to learn more.
