There害羞草研究所檚 no doubt the weather across much of Eastern Canada this week is very, very hot. But is the region experiencing a heat wave or a heat dome, and what is the difference between the two?
It depends on whom you ask.
While the term heat dome isn害羞草研究所檛 new, it gained prominence during the record-shattering June 2021 heat event over the Pacific Northwest. The B.C. provincial coroner害羞草研究所檚 service linked more than 600 deaths to the extreme heat, with 93 per cent of them occurring between June 25 and July 1.
The term heat dome 害羞草研究所� like heat wave 害羞草研究所� doesn害羞草研究所檛 appear in Environment Canada害羞草研究所檚 glossary. Several weather experts contacted by The Canadian Press gave slightly different meanings and disagreed on whether the term heat dome is useful to inform the public about climate change and the dangers of extreme weather.
For Jalena Bennett, a spokesperson for the Weather Forecast Research Team at the University of British Columbia, heat domes and heat waves have separate meanings. Heat waves, Bennett said, are periods of hot weather that can be caused by multiple factors, while heat domes are more specific.
害羞草研究所淪imply put, heat domes will always be a heat wave, yet not every heat wave is a heat dome,害羞草研究所� she wrote in an email.
A heat dome, Bennett said, occurs specifically 害羞草研究所渨hen high pressure exists in a large region for a very long period of time, with both surface high pressure and high pressure higher up in the atmosphere remaining stationary.害羞草研究所� The high pressure, she wrote, is associated with little to no clouds, allowing the sun to heat the surface for an extended time.
害羞草研究所淪ince the system isn害羞草研究所檛 moving, the air within will essentially be trapped until the high pressure lessens or moves on,害羞草研究所� she wrote.
Bennett said members of the UBC weather research team, like many meteorologists, prefer to use the term heat wave to describe extended periods of high temperatures 害羞草研究所� whether or not the phenomenon occurring is technically a heat dome. The two terms, she said, are sometimes falsely conflated and can generate confusion.
害羞草研究所淭here needs to be careful analysis of a heat event before it can be classified as a 害羞草研究所榟eat dome,害羞草研究所� even if it is widely described as such,害羞草研究所� she said.
David Phillips, a senior climatologist at Environment Canada, also defines a heat dome as a stationary high-pressure area. But for him, the main differences between a heat wave and heat dome are that the latter covers a bigger area, doesn害羞草研究所檛 cool down at night and is deadlier.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like the air is trapped in there and doesn害羞草研究所檛 move,害羞草研究所� he said in a phone interview.
Unlike other meteorologists, Phillips said he uses the term heat dome because it is 害羞草研究所渄escriptive害羞草研究所� and easy for the public to understand 害羞草研究所� even though he recognizes that some of his colleagues may not agree. Weather terms, he added, differ by region and have shifted over time.
Jean-Philippe B茅gin, an Environment Canada meteorologist from Quebec, said he prefers not to use the term heat dome, describing it as a 害羞草研究所渦seless害羞草研究所� description to inform the public.
Talking to people about heat domes 害羞草研究所� which differ with heat waves in the temperatures in the upper atmosphere 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渋t害羞草研究所檚 making things complicated for nothing. So let害羞草研究所檚 just call it a heat wave. People understand that.害羞草研究所�
When asked about the difference between a heat wave and a heat dome, B.C.-based Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan said 害羞草研究所渢here isn害羞草研究所檛 one.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t doesn害羞草研究所檛 matter what we call it,害羞草研究所� he said. While there can be some small nuances, he said, 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 kind of the same mechanism.害羞草研究所�
What害羞草研究所檚 important, he said, is 害羞草研究所渨hether or not we can incite behavioural change, both at the individual level and the societal level,害羞草研究所� he said.
Caroline Metz, the managing director of Climate Resilience and Health at the University of Waterloo害羞草研究所檚 Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, said the extreme weather events of recent years have driven the popularity of a number of new meteorological terms, from atmospheric river to heat dome, in an effort to explain the new realities to the public.
害羞草研究所淚 think it stems from the fact that our planet is warming and it害羞草研究所檚 changing the atmosphere and ocean conditions,害羞草研究所� Metz said. 害羞草研究所淭hese terms are trying to describe what害羞草研究所檚 happening with our weather, which is being influenced by climate change.害羞草研究所�
She said a heat wave is conventionally described as an extended period of higher-than-average temperatures, but the specifics depend on the region and time of year. Similar to the other experts, she described a heat dome as a 害羞草研究所渟tagnant stationary hot air mass害羞草研究所� created by a high-pressure system that traps a layer of hot air below it like a lid.
Metz said that in Canada, heat domes may be 害羞草研究所渦nofficially害羞草研究所� associated with heat events that are particularly deadly, due to the connection with the 2021 extreme hot weather in B.C., but she said the rest of the world may use the word heat wave for a similarly deadly event.
What害羞草研究所檚 not in doubt, she said, is that heat events are among the greatest hazards to human health, responsible for 害羞草研究所渕ore illness and deaths than most other extreme weather hazards combined.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淎t the end of the day, the reality is that things are getting hotter, faster and we need to adapt,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎cting now, to build protection from extreme heat will safeguard health and save lives.害羞草研究所�
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
