It’s no coincidence that extreme heat is engulfing huge swaths of Asia, Europe and North America all at the same time. Powerful weather forces are combining to create the planet-wide conditions, and there’s unlikely to be relief from the scorching temperatures anytime soon.

Climate change is at the heart of what’s boosting heat to new records. But there’s more to the picture. The way the Earth and the atmosphere are wired means that the weather in one location can influence conditions on the other side of the globe, with high and low pressure zones helping to create the links. The phenomenon is called teleconnections by meteorologists, and it all has to do with how air is moving around the atmosphere.