Heat waves that spark damaging droughts are happening more frequently, study finds

A new study shows that heat waves are increasingly triggering sudden and severe droughts across the world as the planet warms. Not only are they increasing, but this increase is accelerating. Researchers say this heat-driven model makes droughts stronger and more damaging than droughts that start on their own. Examples include the Pacific Northwest heat dome in 2021 and record heat and drought in the Amazon in 2023-2024. An expert not involved in the research said it illustrated how extreme weather events fueled by climate change can dangerously pile up on top of each other.