Europe is experiencing extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in many regions. Some areas in Spain and Portugal are even hotter than the Sahara Desert. Authorities are advising people to stay indoors, schools have shut down, wildfires are spreading, and nuclear reactors are reducing output due to warm river temperatures affecting cooling efficiency. The World Health Organization reports that over 1,300 deaths in Europe can be attributed to the heat since June 21st.
Traditionally, European cities, homes, and tourist destinations were designed under the assumption that summers would be warm but manageable. However, this assumption is now being challenged as the climate changes. Ajit Niranjan, The Guardian’s Europe environment correspondent, discusses the implications of an entire continent realizing it was constructed for a climate that no longer exists.
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