US should have cooled down in autumn. Instead, it's baking under a heat dome

Autumn is just days away, but parts of the southern and central United States are still stuck in the kind of heat more commonly associated with peak summer.A powerful heat dome is driving an extended spell of extreme warmth across the region.The dome is forecast to become hotter, possibly reaching its peak on today, September 16, towering roughly 6 km above Tennessee and drawing hot, humid air north from the Gulf of Mexico. A tour operator wipes herself with a chilled towel in the heat. (Photo: AP) A heat dome forms when a large area of high pressure settles over a region. Air slowly sinks beneath the high-pressure system, warming as it descends. The system also suppresses clouds and rainfall, allowing more sunlight to heat the ground, resulting in a sweltering pocket of hot weather that can persist for several days.HEAT RECORDS CONTINUE TO TUMBLEThe unusual warmth that exists in the region has already produced a string of records. Across parts of Texas and Missouri, temperatures have been more than 5°C above average so far this month. A temperature map illustarting the high temperatures in the central US. (Photo: NWS) Dallas has experienced only three days below 38°C since August 3 and has already broken its September record for the number of days reaching at least 38°C, with 13 such days and counting.Oklahoma City has reached 38°C or higher 11 times since September began, while Wichita has recorded 10 such days, both records for the September-to-November period.Forecast highs on Tuesday included about 39°C in Austin and Dallas, 38°C in Oklahoma City and 37°C in Nashville.The National Weather Service (NWS) said that dangerous heat and high humidity will continue across parts of northeast Texas and the mid-Mississippi Valley this week. A man wipes off sweat while installing a new air conditioning unit during record heat. (Photo: AP) Heat advisories remain in effect in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee.A gradual cooling trend is expected later in the week, although temperatures are forecast to remain above normal in some areas.A YEAR OF OUT-OF-SEASON WEATHERA September 15 forecast from Nashville-based local news channel, WKRN, showed the state continuing to deal with unusually persistent warmth even as autumn approaches, with temperatures remaining in the mid-30s Celsius and heat concerns continuing across parts of the region. A satellite image shows the high temperatures in the central US. (Photo: Windy) Similarly, local news organisations in Nashville, Tennessee reported that September 2026 has been the hottest September in the state on record so far.That persistence is what makes the current heat stand out.Rather than a brief burst of hot weather, the region is experiencing several days of sustained warmth, with high humidity making conditions feel even hotter.And with the calendar already approaching the start of autumn, the heat is lasting well beyond when many communities would normally expect summer's grip to loosen.It's a worrying thing for the world's 2nd largest emitter, as record-breaking heat illustrated the climate extremes frequently playing out in the country. US President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a convention in Dallas, Texas. (Photo: AFP) The current heat dome is therefore more than an early taste of summer lingering into September. It is another example of how extreme weather can disrupt the calendar, with dangerous heat persisting even as the US approaches the start of autumn.Meanwhile, the country's leader, Donald Trump, continues to maintain that climate change is not real and merely a conspiracy.- EndsPublished On: Sep 16, 2026 12:46 IST