A thunderstorm "ring of fire" has erupted along the edge of the massive "heat dome" currently smothering much of the eastern half of the United States. And if that wasn't enough wild weather, the first named tropical storm of the season has also emerged — and already fizzled out — in the Atlantic.
The heat dome is being caused by an area of high pressure in the atmosphere that has trapped warm air beneath it, like a giant lid on a pot. The dome has been contributing to sweltering temperatures in the Central and Eastern U.S. since the end of last week, even raising temperatures in New York City to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), a height not seen since 2013, The Associated Press reported.
