But George Clooney, with his stinging New York Times opinion piece, isn’t the only one speaking out. A growing chorus from Democrats is sinking the president’s hopes of steadying his campaign this week - and perhaps ever.

This all comes after it appeared that the president had turned a corner, with the influential Congressional Black Caucus and key liberal members of Congress just voicing their support for him.

But now the ground has shifted once again - and all in the midst of a high-profile Nato summit with US allies here in Washington.

On Wednesday evening, Peter Welch of Vermont became the first Democratic senator to openly call on Mr Biden to withdraw, "for the good of the country", as he wrote in a newspaper op-ed.

The drumbeat of defections makes the stakes for Mr Biden’s press conference at the end of the Nato summit on Thursday afternoon even higher. It will be the biggest unscripted test for him since his botched debate two weeks prior which triggered this crisis.

Mr Biden also has a sit-down interview scheduled with NBC News presenter Lester Holt on Monday. A fumble or misstep in the days ahead could buttress all the most damaging assertions Mr Clooney, a top Democratic fundraiser, makes in his New York Times piece.

The actor writes that the president's decline is not an illusion; it’s real. He points to a Los Angeles fundraiser he threw for the president last month. “The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe... of 2010,” he writes. “He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”

The president is not up to the task of beating Donald Trump in November, Clooney continues. He calls the Biden campaign’s claim that he is the choice of Democratic primary voters “disingenuous, at best”. And, perhaps most devastating, he says every prominent Democrat he has spoken with knows all this – whether they’re willing to publicly admit it or not.

“We can put our heads in the sand and pray for a miracle in November", he writes, “or we can speak the truth.”

The Biden campaign is pushing back against the Clooney piece, noting that the president had flown across nine time zones, from the G7 summit in Italy, to attend the star’s fundraiser.

Campaign officials also note that the president has had serious disagreements recently with the star and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, about his administration’s Gaza policy. The opinion piece, published three weeks after that Los Angeles fundraiser, could be viewed like a strike timed for maximum effect.

But Clooney isn’t just any movie star. He’s a powerful fundraiser for Democrats and has been for years. Given that California, and the Hollywood industry in particular, is a key part of the party’s money base, Clooney’s comments present a very real threat to Mr Biden.

It also comes on the heels of expressions of dissatisfaction from other big-money Democratic donors, such as Netflix chair Reed Hastings and IAC chair Barry Diller.

The actor is also plugged in to party politics, with close ties to former President Barack Obama. It is difficult to imagine that he would have taken to the pages of the New York Times in such a dramatic way, with a double-barrel blast against the sitting president, without at least some tacit sign-off from prominent Democrats.

Revelling in the Democratic turmoil on Wednesday night, Trump posted to social media about Clooney: "He’s turned on Crooked Joe like the rats they both are."

Increasingly, prominent Democrats are saying things that should give Mr Biden pause.

Senator Welch's column in the Washington Post said: "We have asked President Biden to do so much for so many for so long.

"It has required unmatched selflessness and courage. We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now."

Earlier in the day, hours before the Clooney and Welch opinion pieces published, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi - who still holds considerable influence within the party - stopped notably short of endorsing Mr Biden's bid for re-election.

She said the president’s critics should hold their tongues until after this week’s Nato summit. “Whatever you're thinking,” she said, “you didn't have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week.”

She added that Mr Biden should make a decision quickly about whether to continue his campaign. When prodded that the president had already clearly said he would stay in the race, she dodged. “I want him to do whatever he decides to do,” Mrs Pelosi said.

And later in the day, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine - Hillary Clinton’s vice-presidential running mate in 2016 - offered similar lines, about how the president “will do the patriotic thing for the country” and “make that decision”.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, put it even more bluntly: “I’m fully behind him as our nominee until he’s not our nominee.”

It’s as if Mr Biden’s tepid supporters simply won’t take “yes, I’m still running” as an answer.

Meanwhile, even some of Mr Biden’s staunchest supporters have started to engage in “what if” scenarios. California Governor Gavin Newsom said he still backs the president, and would not run against Vice-President Kamala Harris as the nominee if Mr Biden stepped aside.

Senate Democrats are meeting Biden campaign officials on Thursday to discuss the future of the campaign. And House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said he would speak to the president directly about Democratic concerns by Friday.

Wheels are turning, but it's unclear whether they are grinding toward a resolution or spinning in place.

If Mr Biden were to bow out, it’s still unclear what happens next. Some have suggested that Ms Harris, as the president’s running mate, is next in line.

The solution, according to Clooney, is for Democrats to regroup and pick a new nominee, although he is vague about how the process could unfold. And his suggestion that, because of the shortened campaign season, whoever the party chooses would be able to avoid opposition research and negative campaigning – either from fellow Democrats or Republicans – seems naive in the extreme.

While the mood in Washington has taken a new turn against the president in the past 24 hours, the mathematics of his situation has not changed.

Mr Biden still controls the lion’s share of national convention delegates who ultimately decide the party’s presidential ticket. And while those delegates aren’t explicitly bound to support him, he could replace any who show insufficient loyalty.

The opinion polls, while indicating he is trailing Trump, have not changed dramatically since his ill-fated debate. And few show any of the most obvious alternatives to him – the vice-president and prominent Democratic governors – doing substantially better.

Even Mr Biden’s critics, with their appeals to his patriotism, sense of duty and concern for American democracy given the potential for a second Trump presidency, implicitly acknowledge that the decision ultimately lies with him.

What Wednesday demonstrated, though, is that if he presses ahead, he may never be able to fully put the concerns about his age behind him.

His debate performance may end up being a self-inflicted wound that never heals.

In one of the biggest shocks of the night, shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth lost his Leicester South seat, which had a majority of more than 22,000.

The party's vote is down on average by 23 points in seats where 20% or more of the population identify as Muslim.

In Ilford North, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was among those who saw his majority slashed - from more than 9,000 to 528.

But Labour managed to win back Rochdale from George Galloway.

Overall it was a spectacular night for Labour, with the party winning a landslide victory.

However, in areas with a high proportion of Muslim voters the party performed badly.

Labour has lost five seats with large Muslim populations - four to independents and one to the Conservatives.

In Leicester South, Shockat Adam declared "this is for Gaza" as he won the seat by 979 votes.

The constituency, where around 30% of the electorate are Muslim, has been held by Mr Ashworth for 13 years.

In nearby Leicester East, the Conservatives benefitted from independent candidates picking up several thousand votes, particularly the area's former Labour MP Claudia Webbe.

Ms Webbe, who was expelled from the party after she was charged and later convicted of harassment, has been a vocal pro-Palestinian campaigner.

The Tories won her former seat by 4,426 votes, less than the number secured by Ms Webbe.

In Birmingham Perry Barr, Labour's Khalid Mahmood lost to independent Ayoub Khan by 507 votes.

Meanwhile, independent candidates who made the conflict in Gaza central to their campaign won in Dewsbury and Batley, as well as Blackburn, which both previously had healthy Labour majorities.

Other senior Labour figures in areas with large Muslim populations only narrowly held their seats after seeing their majorities eaten away.

The newly elected Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, said her party's position on Gaza was a "stain on its record" and, while the party had "moved in the right direction", it "took a long time to get there".

David Lammy - who could be set to become Labour's foreign secretary - told the BBC that his party would "work with partners to seek Palestinian recognition" in power.

Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika said analysts should be "slightly careful" about "lumping everyone from a Muslim background into having the same view".

She told BBC Radio 4 that there may have been "more to it than Gaza" in some areas, with "other local community politics" at play.

In Ilford North, independent candidate Leanne Mohamad, who is the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees, was just 528 votes behind Mr Streeting.

In Birmingham Ladywood, shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood held off a challenge from independent candidate and lawyer Akhmed Yakoob, who has a large following on TikTok.

However, her majority fell from more than 32,000 to 3,421.

Similarly Jess Phillips, who quit the Labour frontbench to vote for a Gaza ceasefire in Parliament last year, also saw her majority slashed from 13,141 to just 693.

Jody McIntyre, who stood for Mr Galloway's Workers Party of Britain, came second.

Ms Phillips faced shouts and booing as she gave her speech after the result, describing the campaign as "the worst election I have ever stood in" and claiming her activists had faced intimidation.

In Bethnal Green and Stepney, in east London, shadow small business minister Rushnara Ali, who was defending a majority of more than 31,000, beat independent candidate Ajmal Masroor by just 1,689 votes.

At his own count, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer faced heckles of "Free Palestine" and saw his majority cut, with pro-Gaza independent Andrew Feinsten coming second with 7,312 votes.

In Islington North, his predecessor as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, retained his seat as an independent, after being suspended from the party over his response to a report on antisemitism in Labour.

Mr Corbyn beat the Labour candidate by more than 7,000 votes.

However, in Rochdale, Labour's Paul Waugh ousted Workers Party leader Mr Galloway, just months after he won the seat in a by-election dominated by the Gaza conflict.

Labour has faced growing pressure over its stance on the conflict, since Israel launched a military campaign in response to Hamas's unprecedented attack on 7 October.

In February Labour called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza but critics said the party was too slow to reach that position.

In its manifesto, Labour has committed to recognising a Palestinian state.

Last year, Sir Keir was criticised after appearing to say Israel had the "right" to cut off water and energy to Gaza.

He later clarified that he meant only that the country had a right to self-defence.

"I didn’t listen to my staff... and then I nearly fell asleep on stage,” he said.

Mr Biden, 81, last returned from travel on 15 June, nearly two weeks ahead of the 27 June debate.

The president's remarks come amid intra-party panic ahead of November's election over his mental fitness, and after a congressman from Texas became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to call for him to step aside following the debate.

"I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw," Rep Lloyd Doggett said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Biden appeared to struggle through some responses during a debate with former President Donald Trump last Thursday.

"It’s not an excuse but an explanation,” he said at a private fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday evening, referring to his travel.

He also apologised for his performance and said it was "critical" that he win re-election, according to ABC News.

Mr Biden made two separate trips to Europe within two weeks last month.

On 15 June, he appeared at a fundraiser alongside former President Barack Obama after an overnight trip from Italy. He returned to Washington DC the following day.

White House officials have previously said he was battling a cold on the day of the debate.

The president did not mention any illness in his remarks on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the White House said earlier in the day that he was not taking any cold medication during the debate.

Mr Biden also spent six days at Camp David, the presidential retreat outside Washington DC, preparing for his debate against Donald Trump.

The New York Times, citing an unnamed source familiar with Mr Biden's schedule, reported on Tuesday that his days began at 11:00 each morning and that he was given time each day to nap.

The owner, Bruce Freshwater, told BI that the crash happened on April 27 after he picked up the Cybertruck. He said he pumped the accelerator when his daughter asked him to, but that nothing happened when he hit the brakes.

"I held the brakes down, and the vehicle really wasn't slowing down," Freshwater said.

Freshwater said he went to make a turn and "the back wheels locked up." According to a report from the North Fayette Township Police Department in Pennsylvania, Freshwater stated that his vehicle went forward 50 feet and crashed into his neighbor's yard. The Cybetruck then barreled into one of his neighbor's cars. That car then ran into a second vehicle, Freshwater told the police in the report, which BI has viewed.

Freshwater's Cybertruck, along with one of the neighbor's vehicles, sustained "disabling damage," according to the police report. The second vehicle had "moderate damage," the report said.

Freshwater said no one was hurt in the crash, but also said a fuse was blown when the airbags deployed, so the Cybertruck can't be driven.

Freshwater said a Tesla-recommended body shop gave him an estimate of between $16,000 and $30,000 to repair the vehicle. He paid around $109,000 after taxes for the Cybertruck, which he bought new from Tesla. He said he's now working with his insurance company to determine what happens next.

Meanwhile, Freshwater said he called Tesla's service line after the incident and heard back on April 29, two days after the crash, and again a week later.

He said a Tesla manager told him that due to the terrain, the accelerator may or may not disengage, and they're looking into the braking issue. He said that was the last he heard from Tesla.

Tesla didn't respond to BI's request to verify Freshwater's account or to comment on the situation.

The Tesla owner posted about the incident on X and said Tesla "needs to take some responsibility." Freshwater told BI that he still makes car payments every month on a vehicle he isn't using.

He said no other Tesla owners have contacted him regarding a similar experience, but the issue he experienced may not be an isolated case.

Tesla voluntarily recalled 2024 Cybertrucks in April for an "unintended acceleration from trapped pedal." The situation may occur when the accelerator pedal pad dislodges and causes the pedal to become trapped by the interior trim, increasing risk of crashing, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The report said the issue occurred because of an "unapproved change" during the vehicle's production in which soap had been added to the assembly. Residual soap "reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal," it said.

The recall covered 3,878 Cybertrucks, the NHTSA recall report said. As of April 15, there were no known related injuries, and by April 17, the vehicles in production were apparently equipped with a new accelerator pedal component, the report said.

Freshwater said he was initially a big fan of Cybertruck and ordered it the first day it became available. But while he initially wanted a Cybertruck replacement, he now isn't sure what he hopes will come out of the situation.

"With the wife and the kids, I'm not sure they would ever get in it with me," Freshwater said. "So it comes down to that, too."

A directive sent by Republican state Superintendent Ryan Walters said adherence to the rule was compulsory, requiring "immediate and strict compliance".

The rule will apply to lessons for all public school students aged from around 11-18.

It comes a week after Louisiana's governor signed a law directing all public schools in that state to display the Ten Commandments.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Walters described the Bible as "an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone".

"Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation, which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction," he added.

Mr Walters, a former public school history teacher, was elected to his post in 2022 after campaigning on a platform of combating "woke ideology" and eliminating "radical leftists" from Oklahoma's education system.

His announcement, which covers grades five to 12, drew criticism from civil rights organisations and groups that advocate for a strict separation of church and state.

"Public schools are not Sunday schools," Rachel Laser, head of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said in a statement quoted by AP news agency.

"This is textbook Christian Nationalism: Walters is abusing the power of his public office to impose his religious beliefs on everyone else's children. Not on our watch," she added.

Mr Walters has previously argued that secularists in the US have created a state religion out of atheism, by driving faith away from the public square.

In an op-ed last year for Fox News, he wrote that US President Joe Biden and the teacher unions had supplanted biblical values with "woke, anti-education values that tell students that they should treat their classmates differently depending on their race and sex and that they should be taught graphic sexual content at a young of an age as possible".

The Oklahoma superintendent's directive comes a week after Louisiana ordered every public school classroom in the state to display a poster of the Ten Commandments.

The Republican-backed measure was the first of its kind in the US, and governs all classrooms up to university level.

Days later, nine families in the state sued Louisiana, marking the start of what some expect will be a protracted legal battle.

The complaint, backed by civil rights groups, argues that such a display violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, and that the display "pressures" students into adopting the state's favoured religion.

There have previously been legal battles over the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings, including in courts, police stations and schools.

In 1980, in the case Stone v Graham, the Supreme Court struck down a Kentucky law requiring that the document be displayed in elementary and high schools. This precedent has been cited by groups contesting the Louisiana law.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the requirement "had no secular legislative purpose" and was "plainly religious in nature" - noting that the commandments made references to worshipping God.

Richard Cuevas claimed he witnessed substandard manufacturing and maintenance work on a crucial section of Boeing 787 aircraft.

Boeing, which has been dogged by questions over whether its safety culture is rigorous enough, said the issues had been investigated and "did not present a safety concern".

Lawyers representing Mr Cuevas alleged he reported critical issues that could create a serious public safety risk and has filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Mr Cuevas, who has worked in the aviation industry for 40 years, was contracted to Spirit Aerosystems, to work on Boeing's 787 forward pressure bulkhead, a dome at the nose of the aircraft which serves as a barrier.

“He recognised the substandard work and expressed concern," Mr Cuevas' lawyers said. "But Spirit and Boeing failed to stop the faulty manufacturing processes."

According to the legal filings a colleague then remarked: “We’ve got a snitch among us.”

Mr Cuevas said he was sacked by Spirit Aerosystems in March 2024.

Boeing told the BBC: “A subcontractor’s employee previously reported concerns to us that we thoroughly investigated, as we take seriously any safety-related matter."

However, the issues raised were found not to present a safety concern and had been addressed, Boeing said.

Spirit Aerosystems spokesperson Joe Buccino, said the firm was "looking into the matter".

"We encourage all Spirit employees with concerns to come forward, safe in knowing they will be protected,” he said.

Mr Cuevas' lawyers Debra Katz and Lisa Banks have previously represented another Boeing whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, who earlier this year told US Congress he had been harassed and threatened after he alleged there were quality problems at Boeing.

Mr Salehpour's concerns were also focused on production of the Boeing 787 model.

That is a different model to the 737 Max which was involved in mid-air cabin blow out in January.

That incident prompted heightened scrutiny of Boeing's safety standards.

In April, Boeing said that it had seen a sharp increase in employees speaking up after it gave assurances there would be no retaliation for doing so.

Boeing said that signalled progress towards "a robust reporting culture".

"We continue to put safety and quality above all else and share information transparently with our regulator, customers and other stakeholders," the company said.

Mr Reeves, a north London homeowner, returned from working abroad to find his family home transformed into a cannabis farm.

The criminals, posing as tenants, had dumped 10 tonnes of soil in the property, causing extensive damage and leaving the family devastated.

According to experts, rental scams linked to cannabis farms are on the rise, with criminals seemingly exploiting the lengthy eviction process to complete illegal grow operations before disappearing.

The Reeves family had advertised their property online as they prepared to work abroad. They were approached by an estate agent who discovered they would be away for an extended period. The agent promised them a family of tenants, supposedly working for a City firm and with children.

However, the "tenants" turned out to be scammers who never paid rent and instead used the property for criminal activities. It was later discovered that the estate agent was operating a fake site, and the tenants were bogus.

The police told Mr Reeves it was one of the worst cases of this kind of crime they had seen. They seized more than 400 cannabis plants from the property, with an estimated street value of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Mr Reeves went to the property after the tenants had failed to pay their rent, having gained a court order to enter the house.

He knocked on the door and was greeted by several men, with one claiming the property was in good condition. Within half an hour, these men had disappeared, although we don’t know what role they played in the farm.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Mr Reeves said, describing the moment he entered the house. "The cannabis crooks dumped 10 tonnes of soil in the family bedroom.

"The whole place had been transformed into a drug factory. There were holes in the ceiling, wires everywhere, and the stench was overwhelming."

Mr Reeves discovered an elaborate setup with fans, lights and a ventilation system powered by stolen electricity. The criminals had rewired the property's electrical system to bypass the meter, allowing them to power their extensive growing operation without detection.

In addition to the tonnes of soil dumped on the upper floor, the property had suffered significant structural damage. Holes had been cut into the ceiling and walls to accommodate the complex ventilation system, which was designed to regulate temperature and humidity for optimal plant growth.

The sophisticated lighting setup, which included specialist grow lamps, had been rigged up throughout the house. The intense heat generated by these lamps also caused damage to the property, with burn marks and melted fixtures visible in several rooms.

"There was a big curtain here. This is astonishing," Mr Reeves says. "They had fans going, the lights were going, this curtain was being pulled in."

The emotional toll on the family, from both the rental fraud and the damage caused to their home, has been immense.

Mr Reeves's wife Julia said: "When you're dealing with property, particularly a home that you're in for nearly 20 years, and raising your child in... It was pretty horrific to feel that you got attacked at the core, that inner sanctum, that place of comfort, that we'd rely on in the city, it's our home - very emotional."

Mr Reeves said: "Emotionally, it feels like my home has been defiled. That's what it feels like. The damage, the dirt, all this dirt everywhere.

"This is the first real home I ever had. We're crushed and devastated."

Metropolitan Police figures show more than 1,000 cannabis farms have been discovered in London in the past few years, with a total of 1,056 found between the 2018-19 and 2022-23 financial years. However, experts believe these figures represent only a tiny proportion of the cannabis farms currently in operation.

According to Allen Morgan, one of the UK's leading expert witnesses from criminal drugs trials and a former police officer who now runs a drug consultancy service, rental fraud linked to cannabis farms is increasing.

"We're seeing a definite uptick in these types of crimes, with criminals taking advantage of the rental market to set up illegal grow operations," he says.

"The criminals exploit the legal system and the eviction process. They know that it can take months to evict a tenant, even if they stop paying rent. During this time, they can complete multiple grows and make a significant profit before disappearing without a trace."

The lack of regulation in the rental property sector has made it easier for fraudsters to operate. Estate agents are not required to have qualifications, despite handling significant assets. This can leave homeowners vulnerable to scams and other criminal activities.

"If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is," Mr Morgan warns. "If somebody turns up offering to pay cash because they've been let down and they need to move in immediately, then alarm bells should start to ring."

The cannabis trade has evolved from small-scale grows to sophisticated multimillion-pound operations, allegedly run by international crime syndicates. London, with its vast local market and extensive transport network, has become a hub for drug distribution.

"The issue that London has is obviously it is one of the main distribution hubs for controlled drugs throughout the United Kingdom," Mr Morgan explains.

"The cannabis trade is so lucrative, what you get is when you convert a rented property, you effectively obtain five, six, maybe seven separate growing areas where you can produce cannabis plants, obviously discreetly and without any sort of evidential link to you."

Police have stated that what happened to the Reeves family is still under investigation, but the reality is that innocent landlords are being left to pick up the pieces of London's growing drug crime problem.

The Reeveses hope that by sharing their story, they can raise awareness of this growing problem and prevent other homeowners from falling victim to similar scams.

"We want people to be aware of the risks and to take every precaution when renting out their properties," Mr Reeves said. "No-one should have to go through what we've experienced.

"Not only was it the fraud, it was a destruction of our home."

This week brought the first test of the year for millions of Americans in the south-west who routinely see high heat come summer.

Temperatures on Thursday were expected to hit as high as 112F (44C) in parts of Nevada, Texas and California, reaching 121F in California's scorching Death Valley.

As Trump took the stage just after 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT) in Phoenix, the temperature was 111F.

Trump fans began lining up for the event early on Thursday morning, in what was the first rally for the former president since his criminal conviction in a New York hush-money case.

There were several thousand people queuing outside the massive Phoenix Dream City Church to see Trump speak on Thursday.

Strict security measures meant it took time to get everyone inside the mega-church.

As supporters waited outside the campaign rally, BBC News saw several people being treated for heat-related issues and two were taken to hospital.

Eleven attendees in total were taken to hospital with heat-related symptoms, according to Phoenix Fire officials.

Firefighters were seen using ice to treat others and cool them down.

On Thursday - two weeks before summer even officially starts - the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast record-breaking temperatures in interior California, and parts of Nevada and Arizona.

In Phoenix, an excessive heat warning is in place through Friday, with people being asked to limit time outdoors and stay hydrated.

Trump started a small campaign tour with the stop in Phoenix on Thursday, exactly a week after he was found guilty in New York.

The former president spoke for about 90 minutes before departing for a fundraiser in San Francisco. He is next expected to hold a campaign event in Las Vegas on Sunday.

That city is also seeing record temperatures. The forecast high of 112F in Las Vegas on Thursday would be the city's earliest observed 112F day on record.

Temperatures are 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above average for this time of year, according to the NWS, though they will cool slightly by the time Trump visits on Sunday.

The intense heat has placed more than 30 million people across the south-west region under alerts for dangerously hot temperatures, with officials asking residents to take precautions.

Heat-related illness and even death are becoming more common in Phoenix and the American south-west.

While heat domes were once described as rare, heatwaves and heat domes are becoming more common and intense because of human-induced climate change, scientists say.

The world hit 12 straight months of record-high temperatures, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said earlier this week.

Last month was the hottest recorded May in history.