June in Alabama is hot. But the next few days will be hot even for an Alabama summer.

A so-called heat dome is to blame.

The National Weather Service said high temperatures could top 100 degrees on Thursday and Friday across a large part of Alabama. That combined with higher humidity levels will take the heat index, or “feels like” temperature, possibly as high as 114, according to forecasters.

Why is it extra hot? Alabama — like many Southern states — is trapped under a heat dome, and it isn’t expected to budge for the next few days.

A heat dome is a way of describing summertime areas of high pressure that stay in place for days or even weeks.

Areas of high pressure are characterized by sinking air, which can trap that warmer air near the surface.

Think of it as a big pot lid over the region, trapping all that built-up heat underneath.

This heat dome has been bringing triple-digit temperatures to Texas and Louisiana for a while now, and it has shifted eastward to engulf Alabama as well.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday indicated that the dome may stay locked over Alabama through at least Saturday, with high temperatures of more than 100 degrees possible both Thursday and Friday.

Heat is not something to mess around with. According to the National Weather Service, heat was the biggest weather-related killer in the United States in 2022.

Forecasters said a break is in sight, sort of. Highs on Monday are only expected to reach the upper 80s or low 90s, closer to what is typical in Alabama in late June.