A heat dome and "corn sweat" are driving this week's dangerous heat wave

Data: NWS; Maps: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsA heat dome — plus the "corn sweat" phenomenon in some areas — is bringing dangerous levels of heat and humidity to much of the country east of the Rockies this week. Why it matters: Heat warnings and advisories stretch from Louisiana and the Florida panhandle up to Chicago and beyond as of Tuesday afternoon, covering nearly 85 million Americans.Driving the news: The main driver is hot, moist air being drawn up from the Atlantic and trapped by a high pressure ridge.Also contributing in some places: "Corn sweat," wherein vast amounts of growing corn and other produce give off moisture through evapotranspiration, further increasing humidity levels in and around agricultural zones."While corn sweat is never the main reason for major heat," Axios Des Moines' Linh Ta wrote back in 2023, "it can add to it."What they're saying: "This is the time of the year when humidity contributions from corn sweat are highest — around the time of tasseling and pollination, when the flower emerges from the corn stalk," as Iowa state climatologist Justin Glisan told the Washington Post.Zoom in: Conditions could be particularly brutal in Chicago, where the local National Weather Service office is warning of heat indices over 105°F for Wednesday and Thursday.High humidity is especially dangerous, as Axios' Tina Reed and Natalie Daher recently reported, disrupting our bodies' ability to regulate temperatures.Threat level: Long-duration heat waves can be particularly serious events, with warm evenings offering less of a reprieve and extreme heat having a cumulative effect on our health.Extreme heat is the most deadly weather event in the U.S., and research has shown that human-driven climate change is making such events both more intense and more frequent.What they're saying: "Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors," the NWS Milwaukee office advises."Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes."What's next: The risk of extreme heat continues through next week for parts of the Central and Southeastern U.S., per the NWS Climate Prediction Center.Go deeper: Millions of U.S. kids attend schools in "urban heat zones"

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