The Bermuda high might not make headlines like hurricanes and floods, but this sprawling dome of high pressure dominates so many aspects of our forecast. It sets the tone for everything from sweltering humidity to hurricane steering patterns, all without making a sound.

The Bermuda high is a massive area of high pressure that often parks itself over the western Atlantic Ocean. Named for its usual location near Bermuda, this system plays a major role in shaping summertime weather across the eastern United States.

When it’s strong and stationary, the Bermuda high acts like a giant atmospheric traffic director, steering storms, influencing heat waves and even guiding hurricanes.

Weather in your inbox

Forecast Location

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to the Terms & Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

During the summer, the Bermuda high tends to expand and intensify, pumping hot, humid air northward from the Gulf and the southeastern U.S. That’s why places from Atlanta to New York can experience stretches of sticky, oppressive weather in the summer months. The stronger the Bermuda high, the more it suppresses afternoon thunderstorms and locks in the heat, sometimes contributing to long-lasting heat waves.

It also plays a huge role in hurricane season. The Bermuda high helps steer tropical systems that form off the coast of Africa. If the high is large and westward-leaning, it can push hurricanes toward the Caribbean or U.S. coast. If it’s smaller or shifted east, storms may curve harmlessly out to sea.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.