Europe is experiencing extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in many regions. Some areas in Spain and Portugal have even been hotter than the Sahara Desert. Authorities are advising people to stay indoors, schools have shut down, wildfires are spreading, and nuclear power plants are reducing their output due to warm river temperatures affecting cooling efficiency. The World Health Organization reports that over 1,300 deaths in Europe have been linked to the heat since June 21st.
Traditionally, European cities, homes, and infrastructure were designed with the expectation of hot but tolerable summers. However, this long-held assumption is evolving as the climate changes. Ajit Niranjan, The Guardian’s correspondent covering environmental issues in Europe, discusses the implications of an entire continent realizing it was developed for a climate that no longer exists.
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